BULLETIN 


OF 


THE    UNIVERSITY  OF /TEXAS 

NO.  361  / 

SIX  TIMES  A  MONTH 


EXTENSION  SERIES  NO.  61 


SEPTEMBER  25,   1914 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  the 
Rural  Schools  of  Texas 


BY 


WILLIAM  SEPTIMUS  TAVTOR,  M.  S. 

ASSOCIATE  PROFESSOR  OF  AGRICULTURAL  EDUCATION 
AND 

CHARLES  HERMAN  WINKLER,  M.  A. 

INSTRUCTOR   IN  AGRICULTURAL   EDUCATION 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  TEXAS 
AUSTIN,  TEXAS 


Entered  as  second-class  mail  matter  at  the  postoffice  at  Austin,  Texas 


552-814-15m-6152 


BULLETIN 


OF 


THE    UNIVERSITY  OF   TEXAS 


NO.  361 

SIX  TIMES   A  MONTH 


EXTENSION  SERIES   NO.  61 


SEPTEMBER  25,    1914 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  the 
Rural  Schools  of  Texas 


BY 


WILLIAM  SEPTIMUS  TAVLOR,  M.  S. 

ASSOCIATE   PROFESSOR  OF  AGRICULTURAL  EDUCATION 
AND 

CHARLES  HERMAN  WINKLER,  M.  A. 

INSTRUCTOR   IN   AGRICULTURAL   EDUCATION 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  UNIVERSITY  CF  TEXAS 
AUSTIN,  TEXAS 


Entered  as  second-class  mail  matter  at  the  post  off: :  ~    at  Austin,  Texas 


Cultivated  mind  is  the  guardian  genius 

of  democracy It  is  the  only 

dictator    that    freemen  acknowledge   and 
the  only  security  that  freemen  desire. 

President  Mirabeau  B.  Lamar. 


The  benefits  of  education  and  of  useful 
knowledge,  generally  diffused  through  a 
community,  are  essential  to  the  preser- 
vation of  a  free  government. 

•  *  •  .-.      •     /  :Rreside3nt  Sam  Houston. 


CONTENTS 

Introduction    T 11 

Importance  of  Nature  Study  and  Agriculture 13 

Field  Excursions 13 

Collecting  and.  Preserving  Material 13 

Place  on  the  Daily  Program '. .  14 

The  Laboratory  and  the  School  Garden 15 

The  Library 15 

First  Grade 17 

Second  Grade   20 

Third  Grade 24 

Fourth  Grade   30 

Fifth  Grade 36 

Sixth  Grade  , 43 

Seventh  Grade 52 

Bibliography  of  Nature  Study  and  Agriculture. 67 

Bibliography  of  Country  Life  Literature 71 

Addresses  of  Publishers  and  Key  to  Abbreviations .  .  .73 


M261428 


DEPARTMENT  OF  EXTENSION 

SIDNEY  EDWARD  MGEZES,  PH.  D.,  President  of  the  University. 
F.  M.  BRALLEY,  Director  of  the  Department  of  Extension. 
SAM  C.  POLK,  Secretary  to  the  Director. 


Division  of  Correspondence  Instruction. 

L.  W.  PAYNE,  JR.,  PH.  D.,  Head  of  the  Division. 
W.  ETHEL  BARRON,  Registrar. 

Division  of  Public  Welfare. 

CHARLES  B.  AUSTIN,  M.  A.,  Head  of  the  Division. 

GEORGE   S.   WEHRWEIN,  B.    S.,    Specialist   and   Lecturer  on 

Co-operation. 

W.  A.  SCHOENFELD,  B.  S.,  Specialist  in  Farm  and  Co-opera^ 
tive  Accounting. 

Division  of  Public  Discussion. 

E.  D.  SIIURTER,  PH.  B.,  Head  of  the  Division. 

A.  J.  ROBINSON,  B.  A.,  Lecturer  and  Athletic  Organizer. 

MARIAN  EDITH  POTTS,  B.  A.,  Package  Librarian. 

Division  of  Home  Welfare. 

MARY  E.  GEARING,  Head  of  the  Division. 

Jessie  P.  RICH,  B.  S.,  Lecturer  on  Domestic  Economy. 

EDITH  ALLEN,  B.  A.,  Lecturer  on  Domestic  Economy. 

Division  of  Public  School  Improvement. 
E.  V.  WHITE,  Head  of  the  Division. 
EDWARD  E.  DAVIS,  B.  A.,  Lecturer. 
AMANDA  STOLTZFUSJ  L.  I.,  Lecturer. 

Division  of  Public  Lectures  and  Publicity. 

JOHN  A.  LOMAX,  M.  A.,  Head  of  the  Division. 

Division  of  Child  Welfare. 

A.  CASWELL  ELLIS,  PH.  D.,  Head  of  the  Division. 
N".  L.  HOOPINGARNER,  B.  A.,  Assistant. 


THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EXTENSION 

Purpose.    Every   university  should  serve  not  only  its  resident 

student  bod}*,  but  also  the  entire  community.  This  i>  true  in  a 
peculiar  sense  of  a  state  university;  supported  as  it  is  by  the 
taxes  of  all  the  people,  it  is  under  business  obligation  to  render 
back  service  to  each  citizen  and  to  the  commonwealth.  In  a 
general  sense  a  university  fulfills  this  obligation  by  sending  edu- 
cated young  men  and  women  back  into  their  home  communities  to 
carry  with  them  the  culture  of  a  broader  outlook;  the  skill  ac- 
quired through  professional  training  as  lawyers,  teachers,  doctors, 
nurses,  home-makers,  business  men;  and  especially  the  inspiration 
of  unselfish  service  as  citizens  that  is  the  intangible  and  priceless 
asset  of  university  life. 

Taking  the  University  to  the  People.  This  indirect  contact 
with  the  whole  people  of  the  State  is,  however,  not  sufficient.  The 
constant  aim  of  the  President  and  Regents  has  been  to  broaden 
the  scope  of  the  University  of  Texas  with  the  broadening  interests 
of  the  state,  and  to  bring  its  benefits  within  the  reach  of  as  many 
individuals  as  possible.  In  1898  the  Summer  Schools  were  opened 
and  have  been  maintained  each  summer  since  for  the  convenience 
of  students  who  are  unable  to  attend  the  long  session,  especially  for 
the  teachers  of  the  Texas  schools  whose  professional  work  fills  the 
winter  months.  As  a  further  step  toward  making  the  University 
directly  useful  to  large  numbers  of  people  who  are  unable  to 
attend  the  classes  of  either  the  long  or  the  summer  session,  the 
Department  of  Extension  was  established  four  years  ago.  This 
Department  has  developed  rapidly,  and  its  work  is  now  carried 
forward  under  several  general  divisions  as  follows: 

The  Division  of  Public  Welfare.  It  is  the  purpose  of  this 
division  to  go  into  the  field  and  investigate  the  economic  and 
social  conditions  in  the  state  with  a  view  of  collecting  such  reliable 
data  as  may  present  a  basis  for  intelligent  efforts  at  improving  such 
conditions.  It  is  hoped  that  through  this  Department  the  citizens 
of  the  state  may  have  the  advantage  of  unbiased  University  ex- 
perts, who  can  come  to  them  and  advise  with  them  whenever  they 
wish  to  plan  any  economic  and  social  movement.  The  time  of 


b  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

one  or  more  persons  will  be  devoted  to  the  various  problems  of 
rural  economy,  sanitation,  social  life,  finance,  marketing  and  kin- 
dred subjects. 

The  Division  of  Public  Discussion.  This  division  has  for 
its  purpose  the  encouragement  and  intelligent  direction  of  public 
discussion  and  debate,  both  in  schools  and  out  of  them.  Bulle- 
tins have  been  issued  giving  advice  regarding  the  organization 
of  debating  clubs,  and  furnishing  lists  of  references  for  reading 
and  preparation  for  debate  on  a  number  of  topics.  Loan  libraries 
on  important  subjects,  such  as  prohibition,  woman  suffrage,  in- 
itiative and  referendum,  prison  reform,  compulsory  education,  the 
commission  form  of  city  government,  municipal  ownership  of 
public  utilities,  and  the  tariff  and  free  raw  material,  have  been 
prepared  and  are  being  loaned  to  such  clubs  and  individuals  as 
request  them.  The  University  Interscholastic  League  has  been 
successfully  organized,  and  it  is  the  hope  of  this  division  to  assist 
in  developing  the  school  as  a  social  center  through  which  the  com- 
munity may  become  better  informed.  County  organizations  be- 
longing to  the  League  hold  annually  county  contests  in  debating, 
declamation,  and  athletics.  Every  school  in  Texas  should  be  inter- 
ested in  this  work,  and  a  League  should  be  organized  in  each 
county.  Upon  request  the  Constitution  of  the  League,  together 
with  bulletins  and  other  information,  will  be  mailed. 

The  Division  of  Home  Welfare.  The  division  deals  specifically 
with  all  problems  relating  to  the  home,  and  exists  primarily  for 
the  benefit  of  the  home-maker  and  with  a  view  of  placing  the  home 
on  the  same  intelligent  and  prosperous  basis  which  characterizes 
other  progressive  institutions.  Lecturers  and  demonstrators  will 
attend  fairs,  county  educational  rallies,  and  make  a  limited  num- 
ber of  engagements  through  the  medium  of  women's  organizations, 
to  give  specific  instruction  on  subjects  of  vital  interest  to  the  home. 
Bulletins  will  be  issued  frequently  on  matters  pertaining  to  the 
home  and  may  be  had  on  application  to  the  Department.  Ques- 
tions will  gladly  be  answered  at  any  time  on  matters  pertaining  to 
the  welfare  of  the  home.  Further  information  may  be  obtained 
by  writing  to  the  division. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas        9 

The  Division  of  Public  School  Improvement.  This  division  has 
in  charge  the  various  educational  exhibits  sent  out  by  the  Univer- 
sity to  the  fairs  and  other  large  gatherings,  to  call  to  the  attention 
of  the  people  certain  needs  of  Texas  and  to  point  out  the  most 
intelligent  methods  of  meeting  these  needs.  These  exhibits  cover 
such  vital  subjects  as  school  buildings  and  school  hygiene,  plays 
and  playgrounds,  use  of, schools  as  social  centers,  medical  inspection 
of  schools  and  care  of  the  feeble-minded.  Information  on  miscel- 
laneous subjects  is  furnished  through  the  co-operation  of  men  in 
the  faculty  who  have  expert  knowledge  in  their  various  fields. 
Beady-made  lectures,  accompanied  by  slides,  are  sent  out  to  re- 
sponsible people  who  are  attempting  local  improvement.  Short, 
practical  bulletins  have  been  prepared  on  many  such  timely  sub- 
jects as  Wholesome  Cooking  under  Eural  Conditions,  Beautifica- 
tion  of  Home  and  School  Grounds.  Pamphlets  have  also  been 
issued  on  One  and  Two-Eoom  Bural  School  Buildings,  Three  and 
Four-Boom  Bural  School  Buildings,  Bemodeled  Bural  School 
Buildings.  These  contain  full  detailed  drawings  and  detailed 
architect's  specifications.  As  its  title  indicates,  the  activities  of 
this  division  are  diversified.  The  aim  of  the  division  is  to  be 
usefu]  in  the  homes  and  in  the  schools  of  the  state,  and  to  this  end 
correspondence  with  communities  that  desire  its  co-operation  is 
invited. 

The  Division  of  Public  Lectures.  In  the  Division  of  Public 
Lectures  the  University  undertakes  to  provide  competent,  trained, 
and  impartial  speakers,  chiefly  from  among  its  faculty,  to  present 
to  the  people  the  great  questions  of  the  day,  and  interesting 
phases  of  literature,  science,  and  art.  It  is  by  no  means  the  pur- 
pose of  these  lectures  to  be  merely  amusing;  the  attempt  is  made 
to  present  in  a  popular  and  attractive  form  a  definite  amount 
of  reliable  instruction.  A  special  bulletin  setting  forth  the  avail- 
able lectures  has  been  prepared  and  will  be  sent  upon  application. 

The  Division  of  Child  Welfare.  The  Division  of  Child  Welfare 
investigates  local  conditions  affecting  children,  and  assists  in  plans 
for  bettering  the  conditions  affecting  childhood.  The  hygienic 
and  sanitary  conditions  of  schools  have  been  given  much  study, 
and  through  bulletins,  letters,  and  lectures  help  is  given  to  school 


10  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

boards  in  planning  new  schoolhouses  and  in  remodeling  old  ones 
to  make  them  more  hygienic.  The  feeble-minded  and  delinquents 
have  been  studied  and  assistance  given  in  drafting  laws  to  care 
better  for  them.  Numerous  other  studies  will  be  taken  up  as  rap- 
idly as  funds  are  made  available.  A.  psychological  clinic  will  next 
year  be  established  at  the  University  to  which  abnormal,  or  atypical, 
children  may  be  brought  for  diagnosis.  At  present  the  division 
gives  free  advice  by  mail  on  any  matter  pertaining  to  child  welfare. 

The  Division  of  Correspondence  Instruction.  Teaching  by 
•correspondence  has  long  since  passed  the  experimental  stage. 
While  the  University  recommends  resident  work  when  residence 
is  possible,  believing  that  the  experience  of  meeting  and  mixing 
with  fellow  students  and  the  consequent  training  in  real  democ- 
•racy,  as  well  as  the  personal  contact  with  and  inspiration  from  the 
ieachers,  is  invaluable,  yet  the  authorities  of  the  University  also 
realize  that  correspondence  study  offers  substantial  advantage?. 
In  correspondence  instruction  the  teaching  is  entirely  individual; 
each  student,  no  matter  how  diffident  or  how  lacking  in  aggressive- 
ness, comes  into  individual  relation  with  the  instructor  in  a  way 
impossible  in  the  crowded  class-room.  He  recites  the  whole  of 
every  lesson  with  a  consequent  advantage  to  himself  that  is  obvious. 
Full  opportunity  is  given  to  discuss  all  difficulties  in  writing,  and 
this  written  discussion  in  itself  affords  valuable  training.  Further, 
a  correspondence  student  is  not  hampered  by  the  usual  time  regu- 
lations; he  may  take  up  a  study  at  his  convenience  without  await- 
ing the  fixed  date  of  a  college  term,  and  he  may  push  the  work 
to  completion  as  rapidly  as  he  is  able  to  master  it.  Moreover, 
correspondence  work  develops  in  a  marked  degree  initiative,  self- 
reliance,  accuracy,  and,  above  all,  perseverance. 


INTRODUCTION 

The  Department  of  Extension  of  the  University  is  endeavoring 
to  •  render  a  genuine  service  to  the  common  public  schools  of  the 
state,  and  the  Division  of  Public  School  Improvement. of  the  De- 
partment is,  therefore,  glad  to  offer  this  bulletin  to  the  teachers 
of  Texas,  believing  that  it  will  be  helpful  in  bo"th  country  and 
city  schools  in  which  instruction  in  nature-study  and  agriculture 
is  attempted  below  the  high-school  stage  of  advancement. 

Agriculture  is  taught  in  the  public  schools  of  practically  every 
state  in  the  Union;  in  fact,  thirty-nine  of  the  forty-eight  states, 
including  Texas,  have  recognized  the  importance  of  the  subject, 
and  have  enacted  laws  requiring  agriculture  to  be  taught  in  the 
public  schools.  In  practical^  all  of  the  other  nine  states  the 
teachers,  with  the  approval  of  their  boards  of  school  trustees,  have 
forged  ahead  and  are  doing  a  splendid  type  of  instruction  in  ele- 
mentary agriculture.  The  outline  given  in  this  bulletin  may  be 
used  with  most  any  text-book  on  the  subject  of  nature-study  and 
elementary  agriculture,  and  may  also  accompany  the  use  of  the 
state  course  of  study  issued  by  the  State  Department  of  Education. 

Nature-study  in  the  public  schools  has  not  received  heretofore 
the  prominence  in  the  public  schools  that  it  should  have.  This 
has  been  due  largely  to  the  fact  that  the  rural  teachers  have  not 
had  the  training  necessary  to  teach  the  subject  successfully.  Effi- 
cient instruction  in  agriculture  has  suffered  from  the  same  handi- 
cap. Provisions  should  be  made  in  all  teachers'  training  schools 
for  more  and  better  instruction  in  both  nature-study  and  agri- 
culture. There  is  nothing  that  will  strengthen  agriculture  in  the 
seventh  grade  so  materially  as  effective  work  in  nature-study  in 
the  lower  grades.  And  there  is  no  training  that  will  enrich  the 
child's  life  more  than  a  study  of  nature. 

Our  educational  system  is  a  failure  unless  it  enriches  life  and 
trains  for  greater  usefulness.  More  than  90  per  cent  of  the  chil- 
dren in  the  rural  schools  are  farmers'  sons  and  daughters,  and  a 
large  percentage  of  these  will  spend  their  lives  on  the  farm.  It 
is  the  proper  function  of  the  rural  schools  to  give  such  training 
as  will  enable  these  children  to  live  fuller  and  riches  lives — that 
training  which  will  create  ideals,  raise  standards,  and  inspire  them 
to  greater  achievements  in  their  rural  environment.  Rural  schools 


12  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

should  not  attempt  to  make  a  farmer  out  of  every  boy  that  comes 
under  their  influence,  nor  should  they  educate  him  away  from  the 
farm.  But  they  must  teach  that  there  is  just  as  much  opportunity 
for  culture,  for  happiness,  for  intelligent  thought  and  action,  and 
as  great  remuneration  for  their  efforts  on  the  farm  as  in  the  city. 

The  material  in  this  bulletin  is  suggested  for  use  in  the  grades 
below  the  high  school.  It  may  not  be  practicable  for  the  teacher 
to  follow  the  outline  closely;  as  large  a  part  or  as  small  a  part 
may  be  used  as  is  found  helpful.  Additional  material  will  be  sug- 
gested by  the  teacher,  as  well  as  by  the  pupils.  The  quick,  alert 
minds  of  boys  and  girls  in  the  public  schools  will  often  furnish 
more  valuable  suggestions  for  work  than  can  possibly  be  carried 
out.  Above  everything  else,  the  study  of  the  subject  should  instill 
a  love  for  nature,  for  farm  life,  and  an  ambition  to  live  contentedly 
in  the  open  country. 

Messrs.  Taylor  and  Winkler,  the  authors  of  this  bulletin,  are 
entirely  competent  to  give  help  in  this  important  phase  of  public 
school  education. 

F.  M.  BRALLEY, 

Director. 


NATURE  STUDY  AND  AGRICULTURE 

IMPORTANCE. 

The  normal  child  is  naturally  interested  in  nature.  If  he  is 
to  get  from  life  all  the  pleasure  and  enjoyment  that  is  in  store 
for  him,  if  he  is  to  live  completely,  this  natural  quality  of  his 
mind  must  be  cultivated.  In  the  hands  of  the  skillful  teacher, 
the  natural  endowment  of  the  child  should  be  so  directed  as  to 
enable  him  to  appreciate  the  beautiful  in  life,  to  explore  new 
fields,  to  delve  into  new  subjects,  and  to  gather  information  for 
himself  from  the  great  realm  of  nature.  Nature  spreads  out  an 
inexhaustible  supply  of  material  of  wonderful  beauty,  of  never 
failing  interest,  and  of  great  economic  importance  within  the  reach 
of  every  one.  The  child  whose  teaching  has  been  such  as  will 
enable  him  to  gather  from  this  that  which  enriches  and  delights 
his  mind  and  broadens  his  knowledge  is  fortunate  indeed. 

FIELD    EXCURSIONS. 

In  all  the  work  in  nature  study  and  agriculture,  field  excursions 
are  of  supreme  importance  for  the  purpose  of  getting  observations 
at  first  hand.  The  teacher  who  would  increase  the  interest  of  his 
pupils  in  the  world  of  nature  and  who  would  familiarize  them 
thoroughly  with  farm  conditions  and  farm  problems,  must  make 
numerous  excursions  with  his  classes.  Each  excursion  should  be 
planned  beforehand  and  should  have  some  definite  object  in  view. 
On  all  excursions  lead  the  children  to  talk  about  the  things  they 
see.  Encourage  the  kind  of  training  that  will  help  them  to  inter- 
pret the  material  world  with  which  they  come  in  daily  contact, 

COLLECTING    AND    PRESERVING    MATERIAL. 

In  addition  to  the  field  excursions  the  children  should  be  en- 
couraged to  bring  specimens  of  plants,  insects,  grains,  stones — 
anything  they  find  of  interest  to  them — to  the  school  building. 
The  school  should  have  a  small  museum,  and  should  add  to  it 
any  material  collected  of  unusual  interest.  This  museum  should 
be  made  up  of  the  common  plant  and  animal  life,  of  stones,  old 


14  Bulletin  of  tlie  University  of  Texas 

birds"  nests,  Indian  relics,  etc.  The  smaller  plants  may  be  pressed 
between  blotting  paper  and  preserved  nicely.  Butterflies,  moths, 
grasshoppers,  beetles,  etc.,  may  be  caught  in  insect  nets,  killed  in 
cyanide  jars  or  with  formalin,  pressed  into  good  form,  and  mounted 
in  various  ways.  The  common  method  of  sticking  a  pin  through 
the  body  of  the  insect  and  into  a  piece  of  cork  or  wood  from  a 
cigar  box  is  perhaps  the  easiest  method  and  is  fairly  satisfactory. 
They  should  be  preserved  in  a  glass-covered  case.  It  is  well  to 
place  a  small  amount  of  carbon  bisulphide  in  the  case  frequently 
to  prevent  moths  from  destroying  the  mounted  specimens.  Soft 
larvae,  caterpillars,  grubs,  lizards,  snakes,  etc.,  may  be  preserved 
in  75  per  cent  alcohol,  or  better  still,  in  a  5  per  cent  formalin 
solution.  Life  histories  of  many  of  the  more  important  insect 
pests  should  be  shown  in  the  collection.  It  will  be  found  a  rela- 
tively easy  matter  to  work  up  a  museum  of  great  educational  value 
to  the  community. 

PLACE  ON  THE  DAILY  PROGRAM. 

A  large  number  of  teachers  give  as  an  excuse  for  not  teaching 
nature  study  and  agriculture  that  they  have  no  time  for  it  on  the 
daily  program.  The  work  in  the  first  six  grades  should  not  be 
given  a  separate  period  on  the  daily  schedule.  It  should  be  cor- 
related with  the  work  in  English,  reading,  geography,  arithmetic, 
manual  arts,  sanitation,  and  hygiene,  etc.  It  furnishes  an  abun- 
dance of  the  most  interesting  material  to  be  obtained  for  language 
work  and  wiH  help  to  lend  interest  to  this  frequently  dry  and  un- 
interesting subject.  It  vitalizes  all  the  other  subjects  in  the  same 
way  and  makes  them  much  more  easily  taught.  '  There  is  no  excuse 
for  a  teacher's  failing  to  give  instruction  in  nature  study  and  agri- 
culture. Many  teachers  make  the  opening  exercises  in  the  morn- 
ing a  nature  study  hour  and  get  excellent  results  from  the  work. 
The  work  in  the  seventh  grade,  however,  should  be  given  a  place  on 
the  daily  program.  Every  child  in  the  rural  schools  should  receive 
such  training  in  agriculture  as  will  give  him  a  greater  appre- 
ciation of  farm  life  and  help  him  to  understand  the  fundamental, 
elementary  principles  underlying  successful  farming. 


Sat  we  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      15 

THE  LABORATORY  AND  THE  SCHOOL  GARDEN. 

Other  excuses  that  are  frequently  given  for  failing  to  give  in- 
struction in  agriculture  are  that  the  schools  have  no  laboratories, 
no  apparatus,  and  no  experimental  farms  or  school  gardens.  A 
live,  wide-awake,  energetic  teacher  would  never  give  any  one 
or  all  of  these  as  an  excuse.  The  whole  neighborhood  is  the  lab- 
oratory of  the  rural  school.  The  equipment  on  every  farm,  to- 
gether with  such  supplies  as  may  be  devised  by  the  resourceful 
teacher  is  the  apparatus  needed,  and  each  farm  in  the  community 
is  an  experimental  farm.  The  class-room  instruction  can  be 
greatly  strengthened  if  it  is  possible  for  a  school  to  equip  itself 
with  a  working  laboratory  in  agriculture,  but  it  is  not  essential 
to  effective  work.  The  school  garden  in  Texas  at  present  is  prob- 
lematical. The  work  will  be  made  more  interesting  and  more 
helpful  by  giving  a  large  amount  of  concrete  work.  But  unless 
provision  can  be  made  for  caring  for  the  garden  during  vacation, 
all  garden  work  or  farm  work  should  be  made  home  project  work. 
This  is  a  very  satisfactory  way  of  giving  such  work  and  will 
vitalize  the  instruction  in  the  class-room  and  the  laboratory. 

THE   LIBRARY. 

The  idea  of  a  rural  school  library  is  comparatively  new  in  most 
rural  communities.  The  movement  is  fast  gaining  ground,  how- 
ever, and  nearly  all  schools  now  attempt  to  keep  some  kind  of 
reading  material  which  is  generously  called  the  library.  It  is  pos- 
sible today  for  any  school,  however  poor  it  may  be,  to  equip  itself 
with  a  good  reading  library  in  nature  study  and  agriculture.  The 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  at  Washington,  D.  C., 
and  the  experiment  stations  in  the  different  states  publish  a  large 
amount  of  valuable  material  monthly  for  the  farmers  of  the  nation. 
These  publications  cover  every  phase  of  farm  life  and  the  majority 
of  them  are  written  so  that  any  seventh  grade  child  can  understand 
them.  The  Biological  Survey  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
has  published  a  great  many  helpful  bulletins  on  birds,  and  most 
of  them  may  be  obtained  upon  request.  The  state  experiment 
stations  also  have  many  available  bulletins  along  nature-study 
lines.  These  are  not  supposed  to  be  sent  free  outside  of  the  state 


16  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

in  which  they  were  printed,  but  most  of  them  may  be  had  for  the 
asking.  Every  school  should  procure  just  as  many  of  these  bulle- 
tins as  can  be  used.  They  should  be  bound  in  a  good,  stiff  binder 
so  that  they  will  not  be  torn  up  so  easily.  A  good  binder  for  this 
purpose  may  be  obtained  from  Gaylord  Bros.,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  at 
a  merely  nominal  price.  In  addition  to  the  bulletins  the  school 
should  have  a  good  working  library  in  nature  study  and  agri- 
culture and  should  also  have  a  number  of  books  on  country  life 
literature.  The  bibliography  in  the  back  of  the  bulletin  will  sug- 
gest a  number  of  books  that  will  be  found  worth  while  in  every 
rural  school  library. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas       17 


FIRST  GRADE 

The  work  in  the  first  grade  must  be  very  elementary.  Begin 
working  with  the  things,  with  which  the  children  are  most  familiar. 
Encourage  them  to  talk  about  the  things  in  which  they  are  most 
interested.  Never  discourage  them  regarding  any  of  their  inter- 
ests. The  teacher  must  be  an  enthusiast  in  the  work  if  he  would 
have  the  children  enthusiastic. 

I.     PLANTS. 

1.  SEEDS  AND   SEED   GERMINATION.     Give  simple  exercises  in 

seed  germination,  using  two  tin  plates  or  pie  pans,  and 
blotting  paper  or  cotton  flannel,  to  show  the  need  of  water 
in  germination  and  to  give  familiarity  with  a  few  of  the 
common  garden  and  field  seeds.  All  seeds  used  for  germi- 
nating purposes  should  be  brought  from  the  homes  in  the 
community.  Let  each  child  bring  seed  from  his  home. 
Create  a  little  wholesome  rivalry  for  the  highest  and  strong- 
est germination.  It  adds  a  great  deal  to  the  interest. 

2.  FLOWERING  PLANTS.     Gather  and  note  the  perfume  of  the 

most  common  and  most  attractive  flowering  plants  in  the 
community.  Teach  pupils  to  name  and  recognize  such  com- 
mon flowers  as  blue  bonnets,  verbenas,  primroses,  violets, 
parisies,  nasturtiums,  zinnias,  daisies,  sunflowers,  coreopsis, 
etc.  Have  the  children  bring  the  common  wild  flowers  and 
such  cultivated  flowers  as  they  have  at  their  homes  to 
school.  Teach  them  how  to  gather  them  so  as  not  to  in- 
jure the  plants. 

3.  WEEDS.     Teach  how  to  recognize  such  common  weeds  as  crab 

grass,  fox  tail,  bitter  weed,  pigweed,  pepper  grass,  cockle 
bur,  thistle,  rag  weed,  nettle,  tie  vine,  blood  weed,  etc. 

4.  FOREST   TREES.     Teach   pupils   to   name   and   recognize   the 

oaks,  hickory,  elm,  pine,  sycamore,  pecan,  hackberry,  mes- 
quite,  and  other  common  trees.  Teach  them  to  name  the 
trees  on  the  school  ground.  Collect  leaves  from  these  trees, 


18  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

press  them  and  save  for  use  in  naming  the  trees  and  for 
drawing  lessons  during  the  winter. 

5.  FRUITS  AND  VEGETABLES.  Study  the  fruits  and  vegetables 
growing  in  the  community.  Bring  specimens  of  each  to 
school.  Discuss  the  color,  odor,  taste,  and  use  of  each. 

II.     ANIMALS. 

1.  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS.     Study  the  horse,  cow,  sheep,  pig,  goat, 

dog,  and  cat,  noting  the  ways  in  which  they  are  useful  to 
us;  the  food  they  eat;  the  difference  in  the  manner  of  tak- 
ing and  chewing  their  food.  Study  the  heads  and  feet  of 
these  animals.  Note  those  animals  that  have  horns.  Note 
the  shape  and  position  of  the  ears  of  different  animals. 
Study  animals  that  have  hoofs;  list  those  that  have  solid 
and  those  that  have  cloven  hoofs.  Compare  the  feet  of  the 
dog  and  the  cat  with  the  feet  of  the  horse  and  the  cow. 

2.  WILD  ANIMALS.     Make  a  list  of  all  the  wild  animals  the 

children  can  name;  a  list  of  those  that  the  children  have 
seen ;  a  list  of  the  wild  animals  that  are  dangerous  to  man ; 
a  list  of  those  that  are  used  as  food.  Study  the  habits, 
food,  and  home  of  the  prairie  dog,  jack  rabbit,  squirrel, 
coyote,  cottontail,  rat,  mouse,  and  skunk.  Tell  the  chil- 
dren stories  of  wild  animals  and  encourage  them  to  tell  the 
stories  they  have  heard. 

3.  PETS.     Stories  of  how  they  come  to  be  made  pets. 

4.  BIRDS. 

a.  Turkeys,  geese,  guineas,  ducks,  chickens,  peafowls,  and 

pheasants.  Study  their  use  to  the  farm  home;  their 
habits  and  general  appearance. 

b.  Learn  to  recognize  and  name  such  birds  as  the  mocking- 

bird, crow,  robin,  English  sparrow,  house  wren,  blue 
jay,  purple  martin,  screech  owl,  oriole,  hummingbird, 
dove  and  quail. 

c.  Study  in  detail  the  house  wren,  observing  especially 

1.  Place  of  nesting. 

2.  Material  used  in  building  the  nest. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      19 

3.  Time  of  nesting. 

4.  Number  of  eggs  in  the  nest. 
.5.     Size  and  color  of  eggs. 

6.  Incubation  period. 

7.  Kind  of  food  given  nestlings. 

8.  Food  of  adult  birds. 

9.  Frequency  of  feeding  young. 

10.  Whether  mother  bird,  her  mate,  or  both  feed  young. 

11.  Number  of  broods  per  season. 

d.  Arrange  to  feed  birls  with  fragments  from  the  lunch  bas- 
kets. The  food  may  be  placed  on  the  window  sills, 
on  a  piece  of  board  fastened  up  in  a  tree,  or  in  any 
place  where  the  birds  may  be  attracted  to  it.  They 
will  be  shy  about  eating  this  food  at  first,  but  with  a 
small  amount  of  coaxing  they  will  become  quite  tame. 

5.  INSECTS.  Learn  to  recognize  and  name  such  common  insects 
as  the  grasshopper,  cricket,  butterfly,  lady  bug,  bumblebee, 
honey  bee,  moth,  potato  bug,  etc.  Discuss  their  homes, 
feeding  habits,  and  methods  of  moving  about. 

III.     HOMES  OF  MAN. 

Study  the  wigwam,  Eskimo  hut,  log  cabin,  and  a  modern  home. 
Procure  good  pictures  of  each  of  these.  Have  the  children 
bring  pictures  of  each  from  their  own  homes  and  encourage 
a  discussion  of  each  picture.  Tell  the  children  stories  of  the 
early  inhabitants  of  the  country  and  their  manner  of  living. 
Have  the  children  cut  out  wigwams  from  paper  and  help 
them  to  construct  an  Indian  village.  Compare  the  way  the 
early  pioneers  lived  with  present-day  life. 

IV.     NOTES  ON  THE  WEATHEE. 

Observe  the  weather  changes  and  their  effects  upon  nature.  Ob- 
serve the  direction  of  the  wind  in  cool  weather;  in  warm 
weather.  Note  the  effect  of  cool  weather  on  growth;  of 
warm  weather  on  growth.  Observe  the  effect  of  frost  and 
freezing  on  vegetation. 


20  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


SECOND  GRADE 

The  work  of  the  second  year  should  differ  very  slightly  in  its 
content  from  the  first  year's  work.  Do  not  attempt  too  great  an 
enlargement.  The  pupils  have  a  slight  knowledge  of  the  things 
studied  before;  their  power  of  observation  has  been  increased  to 
some  extent;  they  have  a  little  broader  viewpoint:  they  are  some 
stronger  because  of  their  previous  work.  But  they  are  not  capable 
of  grasping  a  great  many  new  facts.  The  work  will  be  more 
interesting  and  more  helpful  to  them  if  only  a  small  amount  of 
new  material  is  added,  and  the  old  material  is  presented  in  a 
slightly  new  form. 

I.     PLANTS. 

1.  SEEDS  AND  SEED  GERMINATION.     Simple  exercises  in  germi- 

nation, using  a  sand  box  or  sawdust  instead  of  the  tin  pans 
and  blotting  paper.  All  three  of  these  may  be  used.  Use 
seed  from  the  homes  in  the  neighborhood.  Make  several 
tests  in  germination  to  show  the  need  of  moisture.  Keep 
some  of  the  tests  moist  after  the  seeds  germinate  and  give 
others  no  water  at  all.  Observe  the  difference. 

2.  FLOWERING   PLANTS.     Continue  the   study   as   in   the   first 

grade.  In  addition  to  the  flowers  studied  the  first  year, 
study  the  dandelions,  thistles,  sweet  peas,  poppies,  Indian 
blanket,  holly  hocks,  hyacinths,  and  jonquils.  Have  the 
children  bring  bouquets  of  wild  and  cultivated  flowers  for 
study  and  for  the  teacher's  desk.  Show  them  how  to  ar- 
range flowers  to  make  them  attractive. 

3.  WEEDS.     Review  the  weeds  studied  the  previous  year  until 

the  children  can  identify  and  name  each  one.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  learn  such  common  weeds  as  lamb's-quarters, 
purslane,  barnyard  grass,  buffalo  bur,  shepherd's  purse,  and 
others  of  the  most  common  and  most  troublesome  weeds  in 
the  community. 

4.  PLANTS  THAT  DO  NOT  BEAR  FLOWERS.     Ferns,  mosses,  lich- 

ens, etc.  The  children  should  be  taught  to  recognize  some 
of  these  plants.  If  possible,  let  them  gather  their  own 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      21 

specimens ;  but  if  they  are  not  able  to  find  them,  the  teacher 
should  provide  specimens  of  each. 

5.  FOREST  TREES.     In  addition  to  the  trees  studied  in  the  first 

year,  study  the  cedar,  walnut,  birch,  poplar,  magnolia,  sas- 
safras, persimmon,  ash,  and  any  other  trees  found  in  the 
community.  Make  a  collection  of  leaves  of  all  the  trees 
studied,  press  them,  and  save  them  for  use  in  drawing  and 
naming.  Gather  seeds,  nuts,  and  fruit  from  the  trees  in 
the  vicinity  and  keep  them  for  winter  study. 

6.  FRUITS  AND  VEGETABLES.     The  apple,  pear,  quince,  peach, 

fig,  orange,  grape  fruit,  grape,  strawberry,  watermelon,  can- 
taloupe, beans,  peas,  radishes,  cabbage,  onions,  turnips,  to- 
matoes, potatoes,  cucumbers,  parsnips,  beets,  and  okra. 
Discuss  the  color,  odor,  taste,  method  of  growth,  size,  gen- 
eral appearance  and  use  of  each;  which  are  usually  served 
raw  and  which  cooked;  at  which  meals  usually  served. 
Have  children  bring  specimens  of  every  fruit  and  vegetables 
grown  at  their  homes. 

II.     ANIMAL  LIFE. 

1.  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS.     List  of  domestic  animals  in  the  com- 

munity. Study  more  fully  the  ways  in  which  they'  are  use- 
ful to  us.  Observe  their  food  habits  more  closely.  Watch 
.  a  cow  chewing  her  cud.  Of  what  is  it  composed  ?  Why 
do  they  chew  cuds?  Discuss  the  peculiar  characteristic 
features  and  movements  of  the  various  animals.  Note  the 
different  ways  of  lying  down,  getting  up,  walking,  running, 
jumping,  etc.  Have  the  children  observe  the  peculiar 
habits  of  each  animal  and  report  their  observation  to  the 
class. 

2.  WILD  ANIMALS.     List  of  all  the  wild  animals  the  children 

can  name.  List  of  those  found  in  the  United  States;  in 
Texas.  Animals  becoming  extinct.  Reasons  for  extermi- 
nation. Continue  the  study  of  the  animals  studied  in  the 
first  grade.  If  possible,  capture  a  prairie  dog,  put  him  in 
a  cage  and  keep  him  at  the  school  building  for  study. 
Have  the  children  observe  all  his  habits  closely.  Study 


Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

a  mouse  and  a  rabbit  in  the  same  way.  Make  all  the  ob- 
servations possible  while  studying  them  in  their  natural 
homes.  Collect  pictures  from  every  known  source  for  use 
in  these  studies. 

3.  PETS.     Guinea   pigs,   rabbits,   white   rats,   white   mice,   rac- 

coons, etc. 

4.  BIRDS. 

a.  Continue  the  study  of  the  domestic  fowls,  observing  more 

closely  their  general  appearance,  their  nesting  habit?, 
their  feeding,  and  their  general  habits.  Discuss  fully 
their  use  on  the  farm;  the  use  of  their  eggs;  use  of 
their  feathers. 

b.  Learn  to  recognize  and  name,  in  addition  to  all  the  birds 

learned  in  the  first  grade,  the  scissor-tailed  fly  catcher, 
road  runner,  sparrow  hawk,  shrike,  painted  bunting, 
dickcissel,  blue  bird,  cliff  swallow,  song  sparrow,  and 
chickadee. 

c.  Select  the  first  bird  found  nesting  for  the  detailed  study 

outlined  for  the  wren  in  the  preceding  grade  unless 
that  first  bird  is  the  English  sparrow.     Do  not  use 
this  pest  for  the  study  until  later, 
d. "  List  of  migratory  birds  seen  during  the  year. 

e.  List  of  resident  birds. 

f.  Provide  nesting  places  for  birds  on  the  school  grounds  by 

fastening  gourds,  tin  cans,  and  boxes  in  the  trees. 
Observe  closely  the  nesting  habits  of  the  birds  studied 
and  see  which  ones  might  be  induced  to  nest  in  the 
places  provided. 

5.  INSECTS.     Collect  such  common  insects  as  are  suggested  in 

the  work  for  the  first  grade  and  others  common  in  the  com- 
munity, and  bring  them  to  the  school-room  for  study.  Have 
the  children  count  the  number  of  pairs  of  legs  and  wings; 
the  number  of  parts  of  the  body ;  examine  the  mouth  part? ; 
help  them  to  locate  their  eyes  and  their  breathing  pores. 
Bring  out  the  most  interesting  points  about  each  specimen. 
Learn  such  insects  as  the  walking  stick,  dragon  fly,  katy- 
did, and  mud-dauber.  Study  the  home  and  habits  of  the 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      23 

mud-dauber.  The  house  of  one  of  these  peculiar  insects 
may  be  found  around  the  school  building.  Study  its  food 
habits  and  its  home  carefully. 

6.     TOAD. 

a.  General  appearance. 

b.  Color.     Eeasons  for  being  so  colored. 

c.  Number  of  feet. 

d.  Number  of  toes  on  each  foot. 

e.  Where  found  in  late  summer  and  early  fall. 

f.  Kind  of  food. 

g.  Time  of  feeding. 

h.     Manner  of  drinking. 

i.  Have  the  children  assist  in  making  an  aquarium  in  which 
a  toad  may  be  kept  and  fed.  Let  the  children  procure 
the  food  for  it  and  find  out  for  themselves  the  dif- 
ferent kinds  of  food  and  the  amount  a  toad  will  eat. 

j.  Have  the  children  count  the  number  of  toads  around 
their  homes,  on  the  school  grounds  and  the  number  seen 
on  excursions. 

III.     HOMES  OF  MAN. 
Continue  the  study  as  suggested  in  outline  for  the  first  grade. 

IV.     NATURAL  PHENOMENA. 

1.  THE  WEATHER  AND  THE  SEASONS.     Learn  the  names  of  the 

seasons  and  the  months  that  make  up  each.  Observe  the 
different  activities  on  the  farm  during  each  season.  Dis- 
cuss the  seasons  of  planting  and  harvesting;  the  seasons  of 
growth  and  dormancy.  Note  the  shortening  of  the  days 
and  the  position  of  the  sun  as  the  days  grow  shorter.  Watch 
the  sun's  position  change  as  the  days  become  longer  in 
the  springtime.  Keep  a  calendar  showing  fair  days,  cloudy 
days,  rainy  days,  hail  storms,  snowfalls,  and  the  dates  of 
the  first  and  last  frost. 

2.  THE  GREAT  BEAR,  THE  LITTLE  BEAR  AND  THE  MILKY  WAY. 

Stories  of  each  telling  why  they  are  so  named. 


24  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


THIRD  GRADE 

The  work  of  this  grade  is  a  further  enlargement  of  the  work 
in  the  first  two  grades  and  is  designed  to  enlarge  the  child's  con- 
ception of  the  world  of  nature.  The  children  should  enter  the 
third  year  with  a  much  broader  outlook  into  nature.  Their  powers 
of  observation  should  be  greatly  quickened  and  they  should  be  able 
to  go  more  into  detail  than  formerly.  The  teacher  must  give 
them  every  opportunity  to  get  first  hand  observations  and  must 
help  them  to  see  things  more  clearly.  They  will  be  accumulating 
a  store  of  knowledge  in  this  and  all  future  years  and  will  need 
a  great  deal  of  help  in  classifying  it  properly.  The  teacher  must 
direct  their  thinking  very  carefully  and  must  be  always  ready  to 
correct  mistakes,  make  careful  explanations,  and  help  them  to  get 
accurate  information. 

I.     PLANT  LIFE. 

1.  SEEDS. 

a.  Make  simple  germination  tests  with  seeds  of  different  sizes 

to  show  the  effect  on  the  strength  of  the  plant.  For 
these  tests  small  and  large  kernels  of  corn,  and  small 
and  large  kernels  of  wheat  may  be  used. 

b.  Make  germination  tests  under  different  temperatures  to 

show  the  effect  of  heat  on  germination. 

2.  FLOWERING  PLANTS.. 

a.  House  plants.     Learn  to  recognize  and  name  some  of  the 

more  common  house  plants,  such  as  the  begonia,  gera- 
nium, primrose,  hyacinth,  pansy,  etc. 

b.  Plants  used  for  decorating  the  home  grounds  and  grown 

in  the  flower  garden.     Learn  to  recognize  and  name 
at  least  ten.     Eoses,  lilacs,  honeysuckle,  poppies,  lark- 
spur, lilies,  etc.,  are  good  specimens  for  study, 
c.'    Wild  flowering  plants.     Corn  flower,  Queen  Anne's  lace, 
yarrow,  phlox,  salvia,  etc. 

3.  ORNAMENTAL  PLANTS  OTHER  THAN  FLOWERING  PLANTS. 
a.     Ferns:  brake,  Christmas,  and  maiden  hair. 

1.     Study  ferns  in  their  natural  homes  if  possible. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      25 

2.  Conditions  suitable  for  growth. 

3.  Care  of  ferns  when  used  for  decorative  purposes 

in  the  home. 

4.  OTHER  ORNAMENTAL  PLANTS. 

Coleus,  Virginia  creeper,  arbor  vitae,  etc. 

5.  WEEDS. 

a.     List  of  ten  weeds  troublesome  in  the  garden. 
sb.     Ten  weeds  that  are  general  farm  pests, 
c.     Collect  seeds  from  five  of  the  most  common  weeds  in  the 
community.    Learn  to  identify  the  weed  by  its  seeds. 

6.  TREES. 

a.  Learn  to  recognize  and  name 

1.  Three  nut  trees. 

2.  Three  fruit  trees  that  grow  wild. 

3.  Three  trees  beautiful  for  their  flowers. 

4.  Three  evergreens. 

b.  Prepare  an  exhibit  of  nuts  collected  from  the  nut  trees. 

c.  Prepare  an  exhibit  of  fruit  gathered  from  fruit  trees  in 

the  community. 

d.  Make  skeleton  drawings  of  type  trees,  showing  direction 

of  limbs. 

e.  Make  mass  drawings  of  type  trees,  showing  form  of  top. 

f .  Compare  the  leaves  of  the  maple  and  the  oak ;  the  elm  and 

the  hickory;  the  walnut  and  the  sycamore.     Draw. 

7.  FRUITS  AND  VEGETABLES. 

a.  List  of  tree  fruits  grown  in  the  community. 

b.  List  of  vine  fruits. 

c.  List  of  the  common  garden  vegetables. 

d.  Uses  of  fruit  and  vegetables. 

e.  Exhibit  of  product  grown  on  home  plot. 

f.  Care  and  handling  so  as  not  to  injure. 

II.     ANIMAL  LIFE. 

1.  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS.  Follow  suggestions  for  the  first  and 
second  grades,  studying  more  in  detail  the  relation  of  do- 
mestic animals  to  agriculture.  Discuss  care,  shelter,  and 


26  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

feeding  of  live  stock.  Teach  kindness  to  farm  animals. 
Interest  the  children  in  the  work  of  the  humane  society. 
If  there  is  a  humane  officer  accessible,  have  him  tell  the 
children  of  his  work. 

2.  WILD  ANIMALS. 

a.  Wild  animals  at  large  in  Texas  today. 

b.  Wild  animals  in  the  zoo. 

c.  Wild  animals  in  shows. 

d.  Methods  of  capturing. 

e.  Special  studies  of  the  buffalo  and  elephant  are  desirable 

in  this  grade.  If  a  show  comes  within  reach  during 
the  year,  encourage  the  children  to  see  it.  Have  them 
report  all  their  observations. 

3.  BIRDS. 

a.  Domestic  fowls. 

1.  Season  of  laying  for  different  classes  of  poultry. 

2.  Number  of  eggs  that  a  hen,  turkey,  goose,  guinea, 

duck,  or  peafowl  should  lay  in  one  year. 

3.  Brooding  habits  of  domestic  fowls. 

4.  Period  of  incubation  of  eggs  of  each. 

5.  Poultry  census  of  the  neighborhood. 

b.  Wild  birds. 

1.  Continue  the  study  as  in  first  and  second  grades. 

The  children  should  be  able  to  name  and  iden- 
tify a  large  number  of  our  common  birds  by 
the  time  they  have  finished  this  grade.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  twenty-four  birds  learned  in  the 
first  two  years,  learn  the  tit-mouse,  vireo,  red- 
headed woodpecker,  flicker,  chuck-wilPs-widow, 
myrtle  warbler,  cedar  waxwing,  pine  siskin,  cow 
bird,  meadow  lark,  Carolina  wren,  and  rock 
wren. 

2.  Study  the  nests  of  different  birds.     A  number  of 

old  nests  may  be  collected  during  the  winter 
season  and  brought  to  the  school  building. 
Make  careful  studies  of  the  nests  of  the  vireo 
and  oriole.  Note  the  materials  used  in  build- 
:  ing  and  the  method  of  attaching. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      27 

3.  Detailed  study  of  the  oriole  or  vireo. 

4.  Convert  crayon  boxes  and  packing  boxes  into  bird 

houses  and  place  them  in  the  trees  on  the  school 
grounds  and  at  home. 

5.  Place  suet  or  bones  in  the  trees  and  watch  the 

woodpeckers,    nuthatches,    chickadees,    and    tit- 
mice feed  on  it. 

IXSECTS.  The  children  should  continue  to  acquaint  them- 
selves with  insect  life  and  should  learn  as  many  different 
insects  as  possible.  They  should  learn  to  distinguish  be- 
tween butterflies  and  moths  by  examining  the  antennae. 
Compare  a  grasshopper  and  a  spider.  Observe  the  dif- 
ference. 

a.  Life  history  of  insects. 

1.  Egg  stage. 

2.  Larva  or  grub  stage. 

3.  Pupa  stage. 

4.  Adult  or  full  grown  insect. 

XOTE.— Use  the  tent  caterpillar  in  studying  the  life  history 
of  insects. 

b.  Butterflies. 

1.  Learn  to  recognize  such  common  forms   as  the 

cabbage   butterfly,   monarch,  black  swallowtail, 
tiger  swallowtail,  etc. 

2.  Detailed  study  of  the  monarch  butterfly. 

a.  Migration  habits. 

b.  Food  of  adult  and  larva. 

c.  How  protected  from  birds. 

d.  Life  history. 

e.  Observe  these  butterflies  during  the  migra- 

tion seasons;  catch   some   of  them   and 
bring  them  to  school  for  study. 

c.  Moths. 

1.  Learn  to   recognize  some   of  the  most   common 

sphinx  moths  and  any  other  forms  common  in 
the  vicinity. 

2.  Examine   the   moths    closely   and   compare   with 

butterflies. 


28  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

3.  Note  position  of  wings  when  resting;  when  feed- 

ing.    Compare  with  butterfly. 

4.  Procure  .cocoons  and  keep  them  until  the  moths 

come  out  of  them.     Have  each  child  study  the 
life  history  of  a,t  least  one  moth  in  this  grade. 

d.  The  house  fly. 

1.  Life  history. 

2.  Habits. 

3.  Diseases  which  it  spreads. 

4.  Methods  of  combating. 

5.  Home-made  fly  traps. 

e.  Mosquito. 

1.  Life  history.     Find  a  raft  of  mosquito  eggs  and 

place  in  an  aquarium.     Let  the  children  watch 
development. 

2.  Breeding  places  of  mosquitoes. 

3.  Means  of  killing  larva  and  pupa. 

4.  Necessity  of  co-operation  in  fighting  the  house 

fly  and  mosquito. 

5.  Relation  of  mosquitoes  to  malaria  and  yellow  fever. 

f.  Ant. 

1.  Kinds  in  Texas. 

2.  General  habits. 

3.  Food  habits. 

4.  Destructive  kinds. 

5.  Methods  of  destroying. 

5.     TOAD. 

a.  Life  history.  Place  some  spawn  in  the  aquarium  at  the 

school.    Have  the  children  make  daily  observations. 

b.  Time  of  spawning. 

c.  Number  of  eggs  laid. 

d.  Length  of  life  of  toad. 

e.  The  tadpole  as  a  scavenger. 

f.  Value  of  the  toad  as  an  insectivorous  animal. 

g.  Enemies  of  the  toad. 

1.  Insectivorous  birds. 

2.  Birds  of  prey. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      29 

3.  Snakes. 

4.  Killed  by  wheels  of  vehicles,  trodden  on  by  live 

stock,  etc. 

III.     HYGIENE  AND  SANITATION". 

Tiiore  should  be  given  in  every  grade  some  hygiene  and  sanitation. 
It  must  of  necessity  be  very  elementary  in  the  lower  grades, 
of  course.  But  even  in  the  first  and  second  grades  the 
children  can  be  taught  a  great  many  things  of  vital  im- 
portance to  their  health.  Cleanliness,  correct  postures  of 
standing  and  sitting,  deep  breathing,  proper  ventilation  dur- 
ing work  and  rest,  and  good  habits  of  living  can  be  taught 
from  the  first  grade. 

IV.     NOTES  ON  THE  WEATHEE.       . 

Continue  to  keep  a  calendar  showing  the  fair,  cloudy,  rainy  day?, 
etc.  Also  learn  to  read  the  thermometer  and  record  the 
temperature  of  each  day  for  a  month.  Observe  the  altitude 
of  the  sun  at  noon  during  the  different  seasons  of  the  year. 
Notice  the  time  and  place  of  the  rising  and  setting  sun 
during  the  different  seasons. 

V.     RELICS. 

Collect  relics  of  all  kinds  for  the  museum.  Indian  arrow  points, 
sp.ears,  hatchets,  tomahawks,  etc.,  should  be  collected  and 
placed  in  every  museum.  Have  the  children  read  stories 
of  the  Indians  and  tell  them  the  use  made  of  each  of  the 
relics. 


30  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


FOURTH  GRADE 

The  fourth  year's  work  may  be  more  intensive  than  previous 
work.  Practically  all  the  work  in  the  first  three  years  has  been 
extensive.  The  third  grade  child  should  begin  doing  some  work 
in  detail.  The  child  in  the  fourth  grade  is  usually  curious  to 
know  all  that  he  can  learn  about  everything  he  sees.  He  can  ask 
questions  until  he  sometimes  becomes  tedious.  Do  not  discourage 
this  investigative  nature.  Direct  his  questions  in  so  far  as  neces- 
sary, but  find  time  to  answer  every  one  as  fully  as  possible.  Help 
him  to  discover  things  for  himself.  Give  him  freedom  to  do  and 
think  independently.  Develop  within  him  a  desire  to  know,  and 
aid  him  in  his  investigation  just  as  far  as  help  is  profitable  to  him. 
Let  him  do  things  largely  on  his  own  initiative.  The  teacher  must 
be  careful  not  to  give  too  much  aid  and  yet  he  must  ever  be  ready 
to  indicate  the  line  of  work  and  to  direct  the  student's  energies 
in  the  proper  way. 

I.     PLANT  LIFE. 

1.  SEEDS. 

a.  Make  simple  germination  tests  with  seeds  of  different  ages 

to  test  the  effect  of  age  on  vitality.  Use  tomato  and 
lettuce  seeds,  one,  two,  and  three  years  old;  corn,  oats, 
and  wheat,  one,  two,  three,  and  four  years  old  and  older 
if  it  is  possible  to  procure  older  samples.  Compare 
the  results  of  the  tests. 

b.  Learn  to  identify  and  name  the  seeds  of  all  the  common 

farm  and  garden  crops.  Note  the  different  shapes, 
sizes  and  colors  of  the  different  seeds.  Observe  the 
size  of  the  plants  produced  by  the  different  seeds. 
Compare  the  seeds  of  corn  and  sorghum.  Compare 
the  plants  of  the  same. 

2.  PARTS  or  THE  PLANT.     Eoots,  stems  and  leaves. 

3.  FUNCTIONS  OF  EACH  PART. 

4.  FLOWERING  PLANTS. 

a.  Continue  the  study  of  house  plants  as  in  the  third  grade. 
Learn  to  recognize  and  name  such  plants  as  narcissus, 
wandering- jew,  etc. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      31 

b.  Plants  used  for  decorating  the  home  grounds.     Oleander, 

wisteria,  clematis,  verbenas,  dahlias,  cannas,  cosmos, 
periwinkle,  asters,  princess  feather,  chrysanthemums, 
etc. 

c.  Wild   flowering    plants.     Elder,    mountain    laurel,   Texas 

plume,  etc. 

d.  Analyze  some  of  the  simpler  flowers-  and  learn  their  dif- 

ferent parts.  The  child  should  be  familiar  with  the 
terms  stamen,  anther,  pistil,  ovary,  corolla,  calyx, 
petals,  sepals,  and  bracts. 

e.  Wild  flowers  troublesome  as  weeds.     Queen  Anne's  lace, 

ox-eye  daisy,  yarrow,  wild  verbena,  dandelion,  sun- 
flower, wild  morning  glory. 

f.  Flowering  plants  escaped  from  cultivation  that  have  be- 

come pests.  Larkspur,  bouncing-bet,  snap-dragon,  chic- 
ory, etc. 

5.  OTHER  ORNAMENTAL  PLANTS. 

a.  Shrubs.     Common  privet,  tamarix,  ligustrum.  crepe  myr- 

tle, pomegranate,  etc. 

b.  Vines.     Morning  glory,  sweet  pea,  smilax,  woodbine,  cle- 

matis. 

c.  Other  plants. 

6.  WEEDS. 

a.  Name  and  identify  fifteen  of  the  most  common  weeds  in 

the  locality.  Collect  seeds  from  these  weeds  and  put 
in  glass  vials.  Learn  to  recognize  the  weed  by  its  seeds. 

b.  Examine  the  seeds  of  thistles,  milkweeds,  and  dandelions. 

Observe  the  parachute  effect,  making  it  easy  for  the 
wind  to  carry  them  great  distances.  Examine  the  seeds 
of  the-  linden,  maple,  and  pine.  Xote  the  ways  in 
which  these  would  be  most  easily  transported. 

7.  TREES. 

a.  List  of  nut  trees  in  the  community. 

b.  List  of  fruit  trees,  wild  and  cultivated. 

c.  Trees  valuable  for  timber. 

d.  Trees  used  for  shade  and  ornamental  purposes. 

e.  Plant  seeds  and  nuts  fr-om  forest  trees  in  a  seed  bed. 


32  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

f.  Go  into  the  forest  and  take  up  some  of  the  small  seed- 
lings and  transplant  them  on  the  school  ground.  Have 
the  fourth  grade  do  this  as  a  grade,  and  let  all  the 
trees  they  transplant  be  known  as  their  trees.  Give 
them  instructions  in  the  method  of  digging  up  the 
tree,  in  root  and  top  pruning,  and  in  planting. 

8.     FRUIT  AND  VEGETABLES. 

a.  Continue  the  study  as  suggested  in  previous  grades.    The 

child  should  be  able  to  name  and  identify  all  of  the 
common  fruits  and  vegetables  by  the  time  he  has  com- 
pleted the  fourth  year's  work,  and  should  know  some- 
thing about  the  importance  and  uses  of  each. 

b.  Procure  as  many  specimens  of  fruits  and  vegetables  not 

common  to  the  community  as  possible,  and  tell  the 
children  where  they  are  grown  and  a  few  interesting 
facts  regarding  them.  Have  the  children  locate  the 
regions  of  growth  on  maps. 

II.     ANIMAL  LIFE. 

1.  DOMESTIC  ANIMALS.     The  children  should  be  interested  in 

better  live  stock  in  this  grade.  Visit  farms  and  look  at 
different  farm  animals.  Observe  the  different  breeds  of 
cattle,  hogs,  and  sheep  found  in  the  community.  Compare, 
thoroughbred  animals  with  scrubs.  Continue  the  study  of 
care,  shelter,  feeding,  and  kindness  to  all  forms  of  dumb 
animals. 

2.  WILD  ANIMALS. 

a.  Valuable. 

1.  Fur  bearing. 

2.  As  food  for  man. 

3.  Hides  used  for  leather. 

b.  Harmful. 

1.  Those  destructive  to  growing  and  stored  crops. 

2.  Those  that  prey  on  other  animals. 

c.  Uses  of  furs  and  leather. 

d.  Methods  of  capturing  animals  for  the  zoo. 

e.  Methods  of  destroying  animal  pests. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      33 

f .  Read  stories  of  hunting  in  class.  Tell  the  children  stories 
of  the  buffalo  and  other  animals  that  are  being  rapidly 
exterminated.  Interest  them  in  game  laws  and  the 
protection  of  animal  life. 

3.  BIRDS. 

a.  Poultry. 

1.  Different  breeds  of  chickens,  turkeys,  and  ducks- 

and  geese  in  the  neighborhood. 

2.  Breeds  of  chickens  known  as  egg  producers. 

3.  Care  of  poultry. 

4.  Have  each  child  keep  a  nesting  and  brooding  rec- 

ord of  a  turkey  or  a  goose.  He  should  report 
on  time  and  place  of  nesting,  materials  used  in- 
building,  peculiarities  of  the  bird  while  nesting, 
number  of  eggs  laid,  incubation  period,  etc. 

b.  Wild  birds. 

1.  A  complete  list  of  the  birds  observed  in  the  com- 

munity during  the  year. 

2.  Learn  to  recognize  them  at  sight  and  by  their  call 

notes  and  songs. 

3.  Observe  carefully  the  feeding  habits  of  different 

birds. 

4.  List  of  migratory  birds  seen  in  the  spring. 

5.  List  of  migratory  birds  seen  in  the  autumn. 

6.  List  of  summer  residents. 

7.  List  of  winter  residents. 

8.  Birds  resident  all  the  year. 

9.  Study  in  detail  the  blue  jay.     Discuss  his  good 

and  bad  traits  and  decide  which  are  dominant. 
10.     Study  the  plumage  of  all  the  birds  observed  very 
carefully.     Compare  them  in  beauty.    Teach  the 
esthetic  value  of  birds. 

4.  INSECTS.     It  is  the  purpose  of  the  study  of  insects  in  tins- 

grade  to  become  familiar  with  as  many  common  insects  as 
possible,  with  the  life  histories  of  a  very  few  of  the  most 
common,  and  to  learn  to  some  extent  the  relation  they  bear 
to  farm  crops. 


34  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

a.  Learn  to  recognize  and  name  an  insect  enemy  of  the  fol- 

lowing :  corn,  wheat,  alfalfa,  beans,  peas,  cotton,  pota- 
toes, cabbage,  melons,  bemes,  peaches,  plums,  roses, 
tomatoes. 

b.  Study  the  bumble  bee   and  the  honey  bee,  noting  espe- 

cially their  homes,  their  method  of  collecting  and  carry- 
ing food  to  their  homes,  their  influence  on  the  polli- 
nation of  clovers  and  fruits. 

c.  Insects  injurious  to  public  health.     Continue  the  study  of 

the  fly  and  mosquito,  and  take  up  a  brief  study  of  the 
flea  and  the  bedbug. 

d.  Insects  injurious  to  animals.     Tick,  bot-fly,  sheep  gad- 

fly, lice,  etc. 

e.  Enemies  of  insects.     Birds,  toads,  other  insects,  man,  etc. 

f.  Collect  and  mount  a  few  insects  important  in  relation  to 

agriculture. 

5.  SNAKES,  LIZARDS,  TERRAPINS  AND  TURTLES.    Place  a  horned 

toad,  a  chameleon,  a  terrapin,  a  green  snake,  or  a  turtle  in 
a  screen  cage  and  provide  food  for  it.  Observe  its  habits 
of  feeding  and  its  peculiar  characteristics.  Examine  the 
heavy  case  that  encloses  the  terrapin  and  the  turtle.  Note 
the  slowness  of  travel  of  these  clumsy  creatures  as  compared 
with  the  speed  of  other  animals.  Study  nature's  method 
of  protecting  her  life  forms. 

6.  EARTH  WORMS. 

a.  Life  history. 

b.  Food. 

c.  Time  of  feeding. 

d.  Depth  of  burrowing. 

e.  For  a  study  of  the  earth  worm,  the  children  will  have  to 

use  their  lanterns  at  night.  The  aquarium  or  a  large 
box  may  be  filled  with  sand  or  loose  garden  loam  and 
three  or  four  large  earth  worms  placed  in  it.  Study 
the  way  in  which  the}^  burrow.  Place  some  green  grass 
or  some  dead  leaves  on  the  surface  and  watch  results. 


Mature  Ftudy  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      35 

Til.     SANITATION  AND  HYGIENE. 

Care  of  the  scalp,  teeth  and  nails.  General  problems  of  sanitation. 
Care  of  the  home;  care  of  the  sink  and  refrigerator;  ven- 
tilating and  airing  of  storage  rooms,  basements,  cellars,  etc. 

IV.     NOTES  ON  THE  WEATHER. 

Study  the  cause  of  rain,  snow,  hail,  ice,  frost  and  dew.  (Correlate 
with  geography.)  Observe  the  effect  of  each  on  vegetation, 
on  the  earth's  crust,  and  on  soil  conditions. 

V.     ADOBE  HOUSES. 

If  possible,  visit  an  adobe  house  and  study  its  construction.  Read 
stories  of  the  early  inhabitants  of  these  houses  and  their 
civilization.  Compare  with  the  Indians  in  other  sections. 


36  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


FIFTH  GRADE 

In  the  fifth  grade  economic  features  will  begin  to  be  of  more 
interest  to  the  child,  and  the  work  should  be  directed  along  these 
lines.  He  will  want  to  know  why  and  how  certain  insect  pests 
and  fungus  diseases  are  injurious  and  how  they  may  be  controlled. 
He  will  be  interested  in  knowing  more  about  the  damage  done  by 
weeds  and  about  methods  of  control;  about  the  value  of  birds,  not 
for  their  beauty  and  song  alone,  but  as  friends  of  agriculture.  His 
interest  in  things  about  him  is  greater  than  ever  before,  and  with 
this  increase  in  interest  comes  a  corresponding  increase  in  his 
power  of  observation.  And  just  at  this  stage,  the  stage  when  the 
child  really  begins  to  investigate  and  compare,  he  is  liable  in  his 
haste  to  draw  erroneous  conclusions.  Help  him  to  satisfy  him- 
self— to  really  see  things  before  he  expresses  himself.  This  habit 
should  be  formed  early  in  life,  and  the  teacher  of  nature  study 
has  a  wonderful  opportunity  to  develop  it  in  the  life  of  the  child. 

I.     PLANTS. 

1.  SEEDS. 

a.  Make  germination  tests  of  corn,  beans,  peas,  and  cotton, 

using  sawdust  testers  made  by  the  boys. 

b.  Study  grains  of  corn,  dry  and  soaked.    Note  the  solidity, 

general  appearance,  cotyledons,  embryo,  husk,  etc. 

c.  Study  plants  growing  in  sawdust.     Note  the  root  system. 

-  Observe  the  root  hairs. 

d.  Study  and  make  drawings  of  plants  at  different  stages  of 

growth. 

e.  Study  the  .conditions  suitable  for  seed  germination. 

2.  FLOWERS. 

a.     Cultivated. 

1.  List  of  cultivated  flowers. 

2.  Preparation  for  planting  some  of  the  most  com- 

mon. 

3.  Time  of  planting. 

4.  Care  of  growing  plants. 

5.  Time  of  blossoming. 

6.  Enemies  and  their  control. 


Nature  Study  and  A griculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      37 

b.  Wild. 

1.  Kinds. 

2.  Distribution. 

3.  Conditions  suitable  for  growth. 

4.  Time  of  blossoming. 

5.  Manner  of  reproduction. 

6.  Protection. 

c.  Analyze  a  few  of  the  more  simple  flowers,  identifying  the 

parts.  Draw  a  few,  labeling  each  part.  The  child 
should  be  quite  familiar  with  the  terms  suggested  in 
the  work  in  the  fourth  grade  by  the  time  he  has  com- 
pleted his  fifth  year's  work. 

d.  Teach  the  esthetic  value  of  flowers.     Every  rural  school 

should  have  a  garden  of  the  native  wild  flowers  on  the 
school  grounds. 

3.  FERNS,  VINES,  AND  SHRUBS.     Continue  the  study  of  these 

and  other  plants  used  for  ornamental  purposes. 

4.  WEEDS. 

a.  Name  and  identify  twenty  of  the  most  troublesome  weeds 

in  the  community.  Collect  seeds  from  these  weeds  and 
put  them  in  screw  cap  glass  vials.  Learn  to  recognize 
the  seeds  of  each  weed  studied. 

b.  Classify  the  weeds  studied  as  to  length  of  life. 

1.  Annuals. 

2.  Biennials. 

3.  Perennials. 

c.  Collect  specimens    of   the   most   troublesome    weeds   and 

press  them.     Save  them  for  winter  study. 

d.  Study  the  habit  of  growth,  manner  of  dissemination  and 

method  of  eradication  of  a  few  common  weeds. 

5.  MOSSES,  LICHENS  AND, ALGAE.     A  brief  study  of  each  as  to 

habit  of  growth,  method  of  reproduction,  economic  impor- 
tance, etc. 

6.  TREES. 

a.  Complete  list  of  nut  trees,  fruit  trees,  trees  valuable  for 
timber,  shade  trees  and  ornamental  trees  as  outlined 
for  the  fourth  grade. 


38  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

b.  Observe  the  time  of  leafing  out  in  the  spring.     Report 

observations  to  the  class. 

c.  Winter  study  of  trees.     Learn  to  identify  trees  in  their 

natural  habitat,  noting  the  kind  of  soil  and  the  amount 
of  moisture  they  seem  to  like  best.  Compare  the  wil- 
low and  the  cedar;  the  birch  and  the  hackberry;  the 
cottonwood  and  the  liveoak. 

7.  FRUITS. 

a.  Tree  fruits. 

b.  Bush  fruits. 
C.  Vine  fruits. 

d.  Special  study   of  the   wild  fruits.     The   dewberry,  wild 

grape,  persimmon,  and  algerita  are  good  examples  for 
study.  Note  the  methods  of  reproduction,  age  and 
season  of  bearing,  kind  of  flowers  borne,  etc. 

e.  Plant  wild  grape  vines  and  persimmon  trees  on  the  school 

grounds. 

8.  VEGETABLES.     Special  study  of  the  cabbage  and  tomato  as  to 

a.  Production  of  plants  in  hotbeds; 

b.  Size  of  transplanting. 

c.  Kind  of  soil  adapted  to  growing. 

d.  Preparation  of  soil  for  transplanting. 

e.  Method  of  transplanting. 

f.  Cultivation  and  care  of  plants. 

g.  Varieties. 

h.     Uses  of  crop. 

i.     Packing,  shipping  and  marketing. 

j.     Enemies  and  their  control. 

II.     ANIMAL  LIFE. 

1.  FARM  AXJMALS.  The  characteristics  of  the  different  breeds 
of  farm  animals  may  be  taught  very  effectively  by  the  use 
of  pictures  obtained  from  agricultural  bulletins,  newspapers, 
experiment  stations,  breeders,  etc.  Every  rural  teacher 
should  procure  a  large  number  of  these  for  the  work.  If 
there  are  any  pure  bred  animals  in  the  community,  take 
the  class  out  to  see  them.  Study  and  compare  them  with 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas       39 

other  animals.  Study  carefully  the  animals  in  the  pictures 
and  compare  them  with  animals  in  the  community. 

2.  USE  or  CLIPPINGS  AND  PICTURES.     Have  children  take  clip- 

pings and  pictures  from  every  available  source.  Mount 
each  picture  on  cardboard,  find  a  clipping  describing  the 
picture,  and  paste  it  on  the  back  of  the  mount. 

3.  ANIMAL  CENSUS  OF  THE  DISTRICT. 

4.  EVALUATION  OF  LIVE  STOCK.     Have  each  child  get  figures 

from  his  father  giving  the  approximate  value  of  the  herds 
of  different  classes  of  farm  animals  on  his  own  farm.  Let 
him  determine  the  average  value  of  the  individual  animals 
and  the  total  value  of  live  stock  reported. 

5.  BARNS.     Look  into  the  farm  accommodations  for  live  stock. 

Observe  very  carefully  the  plans  and  construction  of  the 
best  barn  near  enough  to  visit.  If  it  is  possible  to  visit 
a  barn  under  process  of  construction,  do  so.  Note  very 
carefully  the  plans,  materials  used,  source  of  materials, 
names  and  locations  of  different  parts,  such  as  joists,  raft- 
ers, studding,  sleepers,  sills,  etc.  Note  conveniences  and 
labor-saving  devices. 

6.  BIRDS. 

a.     Poultry. 

1.  Types  of  chickens. 

a.  Egg  type. 

b.  Meat  type. 

c.  Game  type. 

2.  Name  two  prominent  breeds  under  each  type. 

3.  Types  and  breeds  known  to  the  students. 

4.  Types  and  breeds  most  profitable  to  the  farmer. 

5.  Value  of  turkeys  and  chickens  as  insect  destroyers. 

6.  Cost  of  keeping  a  chicken  a  year  if  kept  in  chicken 

lot. 

7.  Number  of  eggs  a  hen  must  lay  to  pay  her  board, 

when  eggs  are  worth  20  cents  per  dozen. 

8.  Cold  storage  eggs. 

9.  Shipping  eggs  by  parcels  post. 


40  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

b.     Wild  birds. 

1.  Water  birds. 

a.  Swimming     birds.       Ducks,     geese,     terns, 

grebes,  loons,  gulls,  pelicans,  etc. 

b.  Wading    birds.      Storks,    bitterns,    herons, 

cranes,  rails,  gallinules,  etc. 

2.  Shore  birds.     Phalaropes,  stilts,  snipes,  sandpip- 

ers, curlew,  killdeer,  plover,  etc. 

3.*   Game  birds.    Grouse,  quail,  partridge,  prairie  hen, 
pheasant,  dove,  etc. 

4.  Birds  of  prey.    Eagles,  vultures,  hawks,  and  owls. 

5.  Land   birds   other   than   game   birds.     Warblers, 

sparrows,  cuckoos,  woodpeckers,  thrushes,  black- 
birds, swallows,  wrens,  tanagers,  buntings, 
finches,  fly  catchers,  thrushes,  chickadees,  nut- 
hatches, titmice,  vireos,  etc. 

6.  Learn  to  recognize  and  name  a  few  swimming  and 

wading  birds  and  as  large  a  number  of  the 
others  as  is  possible.  Study  the  food  habits  of 
all  the  birds  and  their  relation  to  all  life. 

7.  Study  in  detail  the  mockingbird,  blue  jay,  wood 

pewee,  cliff  swallow,  and  other  birds.  Assign 
a  different  bird  to  each  two  students  and  let 
them  report  their  observations  in  full. 

7.  INSECTS.  Every  child  who  lives  in  the  country  knows  that 
the  cabbage  worm  causes  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  heavy 
losses.  He  knows,  too,  that  apples  and  plums  are  "faulty" 
when  they  drop  off  in  large  numbers  before  maturity,  but 
he  does  not  know  the  real  cause  of  this  dropping.  He  does 
not  know  tnat  there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  codling  moth,  or 
a  plum  curculio,  or,  if  he  does  know,  he  does  not  know  how 
to  combat  them.  He  has  no  idea  about  the  damage  done 
annually  by  the  insects  in  the  United  States.  If  he  were 
told  that  grasshoppers  cost  the  nation  more  than  $50,000,000 
yearly,  he  would  scarcely  believe  it.  Study  carefully  the 
relation  existing  between  the  insect  and  the  plant  world. 
a.  Insect  pests. 

1.     List  of  insect  pests  of  the  most  common  crops. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      41 

2.  Probable   amount  of   damage   done  in   the  com- 

munity. 

3.  Best  methods  of  eradication. 

b.  Beneficial  insects. 

1.  List  of  beneficial  insects  in  the  community. 

2.  Ways  in  which  they  are  beneficial. 

3.  Means  of  protecting. 

4.  Study  the  honey  bee,  bumble  bee,  lady  bug,  ich- 

neumon fly,  dragon  fly,  etc. 

c.  Insects  injurious  to  health.     Continue  the  study  of  the 

house  fly,  mosquito,  flea,  bedbug,  lice,  and  red  bug  or 
chigger. 

d.  Other  household  insects  and  methods  of  combating  them. 

Cockroach,  clothes  moth,  ants,  etc. 

e.  Spiders.     Habits,  food,  methods  of  procuring  food,  egg 

bag,  number  of  eggs  in  bag,  kinds  of  spiders,  etc. 
Study  also  the  related  forms,  the  tarantula,  centipede, 
and  scorpion. 

f.  Brief  study  of  sprays  and  spraying  as  means  of  controll- 

ing insect  pests. 

8.  EARTHWORMS. 

a.  Follow  the  outline  suggested  for  the  previous  grade,  study- 

ing more  carefully  the  food,  time  of  feeding,  and  rela- 
tion to  the  soil. 

b.  The  earthworn  as  a  subsoiler. 

c.  Eelation  to  humus  content  of  soil. 

d.  As  a  soil  aerator. 

9.  BAT. 

a.  Peculiar  characteristics  of  the  bat. 

1.  Kind  of  coat. 

2.  Kind  of  feet. 

3.  Wings. 

4.  Mammalian  feature. 

b.  Food  of  bats. 

c.  Time  of  feeding. 

d.  Hibernation  during  winter. 

e.  Place  of  rest  during  the  day. 


42  Bulletin  of  tlu    University  of  Texas 

f.  Capture  a  bat  and  place  it  in  a  cage  for  study.  Study 
its  food  habits  by  having  the  children  collect  food  and 
feed  it. 

10.  SNAKES,  LIZARDS,  TERRAPINS,  FROGS,  ETC.  Continue  the 
study  of  these  and  other  animal  forms.  Study  carefully 
the  food  habits  of  frogs  and  snakes.  Make  a  list  of  the 
poison  snakes  found  in  Texas. 

III.     SANITATION  AND  HYGIENE. 

General  problems  of  cleanliness  around  the  school  and  home ;  the 
water  supply;  sewage  disposal;  garbage  disposal;  location 
of  the  barn  and  poultry  yard  with  relation  to  the  house; 
location  of  the  well  with  relation  to  all  other  buildings. 

IV.     HOME  GROUNDS. 

Make  a  plan  of  the  home  grounds  locating  the  buildings,  fences, 
walks,  drives,  trees,  shrubbery,  and  flowers.  Discuss  the 
preparation  of  the  ground  for  planting  trees,  shrubs,  and 
flowers;  kinds  to  plant  and  where  to  get  'them;  planting; 
arrangement  and  care. 

V.     SCHOOL  GROUNDS. 

Draw  a  plan  of  the  school  grounds  locating  the  walks,  trees,  shrub- 
bery, flowers,  and  well.  Discuss  the  plans,  criticise  the 
present  situation,  and  make  suggestions  for  a  better  plan. 

VI.     SPANISH  MISSIONS. 

Stories  of  the  founding  of  the  missions,  their  construction,  pur- 
pose, etc.,  to  give  the  child  a  greater  appreciation  of  their 
early  influence  for  good. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      43 


SIXTH  GRADE 

"Xature  study,  while  standing  in  its  own  light,  should  greatly 
enrich,  elucidate,  and  vitalize  the  other  studies.  If  properly  han- 
dled, it  should  gradually  give  place  to  the  services  and  vocations 
which  it  has  served  to  develop  and  to  introduce." 

The  nature  study  in  the  sixth  grade  should  take  on  more  eco- 
nomic features  and  should  become  more  closely  related  to  agri- 
culture. The  work,  if  properly  taught,  will  be  gradually  merged 
into  agriculture.  The  child  should  be  placed  more  largely  on  his 
own  resources,  should  be  given  more  freedom  of  study,  and  more 
responsibility.  His  thought  should  be  directed  along  economic 
lines  in  so  far  as  is  deemed  wise,  but  the  teacher  must  not  lose 
sight  of  the  fact  that  the  economic  phase  is  not  the  all-important 
phase  of  the  work.  He  must  be  so  taught  that  he  will  see  and 
appreciate  the  beautiful  in  nature,  and  thus  be  equipped  to  live 
more  fully  and  completely. 

I.     GAKDENTNG. 

1.  CUTTINGS.     Make  cuttings  of  the  geranium,  coleus,  begonia, 

etc.,  and  propagate  them  in  flower  pots. 

2.  THE  FLOWER  GARDEN.     Plan  a  flower  garden.     Study  the 

methods  of  propagation,  the  care  and  cultivation  of  the 
flowers  to  be  grown  in  it. 

3.  FLOWER  FESTIVAL.     Plan  a  flower  festival  for  the  school  and 

show  the  parents  the  results  of  competitive  flower  gardening. 
Each  student  should  take  part  in  the  flower  festival  and 
should  exhibit  only  his  own  flowers. 

4.  MARKETING  FLOWERS.     If  convenient  to  a  city,  interest  the 

children  in  supplying  flowering  plants  and  flowers  to  the 
florists. 

5.  VEGETABLES. 

a.  Early,  hardy.  Asparagus,  rhubarb,  beet,  cabbage,  carrot, 
cauliflower,  lettuce,  radishes,  peas,  onions,  potatoes, 
parsnips,  etc.  ' 


44  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

b.  f  Late,    tender.     Corn,    beans,   tomatoes,    peppers,    cucum- 
bers, etc. 

6.  HOT  BEDS.     Construction  of  hot  beds  for  vegetable  garden- 

ing.    Have  the  boys  construct  one  on  the  school  ground  to 
grow  plants  for  early  planting  in  the  school  or  home  garden. 

7.  COLD  FRAMES.     Construction  and  use. 

8.  ADAPTATION    OF    VEGETABLES.     Study    the    vegetables    best 

adapted  to  growth  in  the  community. 

9.  VEGETABLES  FOR  EARLY  MARKETS.     Special  study  of  radishes 

and  lettuce  for  the  early  market.     Other  vegetables  may  be 
studied  according  to  their  importance  in  the  community. 

10.  TOMATOES  AND  CABBAGE.     Eeview  the  cultivation,  and  study 

the  care  and  handling. 

11.  POTATOES.     Special  study  of  the  Irish  and  sweet  potatoes  as 

to  soil  conditions,  planting,  cultivation,  harvesting,  yield, 
storing,  and  marketing. 

12.  BEANS  AND  PEAS.     Careful  study  of  these  and  their  effect 

upon  the  fertility  of  the  soil. 

13.  GARDENING  IMPLEMENTS.     Study  the  use  and  care  of  all  tools 

used  in  cultivating  the  garden. 

14.  INSECT   PESTS.     Careful   study   of   the   insects   injurious  to 

garden  crops. 

15.  FUNGUS  .DISEASES.     Brief  study  as  to  the  damage  done,  the 

spread,  and  the  control. 

16.  INCOME  FROM  CROPS.     Compare  the  income  from  an  acre  of 

potatoes  with  the  income  from  an  acre  of  cotton ;  beans ; 
peas. 

II.     FIELD  CROPS. 

1.     THE  CORN  CROP. 

a.  Number  of  acres  planted  on  each  farm. 

b.  Average  yield  per  acre. 

c.  Number  of  acres  planted  in  Texas. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      45 

d.  Average  yield  per  acre. 

e.  Average  yield  of  corn  club  boys. 

f.  Get  information  on  growing  one  acre  of  corn  from  the 

United  States  Department  of  Agriculture.  Study  care- 
fully the  best  methods  of  plowing  the  land;  time  and 
rate  of  planting ;  habit  of  growth  of  plant ;  cultivation ; 
harvesting  and  utilization  of  crop.  Compare  the  cul- 
tivation advocated  by  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture  with  the  cultivation  practiced  on  farms 
with  which  you  are  familiar. 

g.  Interest  the  children  further  in  pure-bred  grains.     Select 

samples  of  ten  ears  each  from  the  acre  grown  the  pre- 
ceding year  and  samples  from  the  other  fields  grown 
on  the  same  farm.  Compare. 

2.  OATS,  WHEAT,  BARLEY,  KAFIR  CORN,  MILO  MAIZE,  FETERITA,. 

AND  RICE.     Brief  study  of  each  to  familiarize  students  with 
the  crops,  their  habits  of  growth,  and  their  uses. 

3.  THE  COTTON  CROP. 

a.  Importance  in  Texas. 

b.  Preparation  of  land  for  planting. 

c.  Time  of  planting. 

d.  Cultivation  and  care. 

e.  Time  of  harvesting. 

f.  Uses  of  the  crop. 

g.  Enemies  and  their  control, 
h.  Method  of  harvesting. 

i.     Care  and  handling  after  harvesting. 

4.  THE  CLOVERS. 

a.  Identification  of  all  the  wild  and  cultivated  clovers. 

b.  Importance  to  the  farm. 

c.  Uses  of  the  different  clovers. 

d.  Value  of  each  as  a  nitrogen  storer. 

e.  The  bumble  bee  in  relation  to  seed  production. 

5.  ALFALFA,  COWPEAS,  AND  SOY  BEANS. 

a.  Habit  of  growth. 

b.  Uses  of  crop. 

c.  Care  and  handling. 


46  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

6.  GRASSES.     Care,  importance,  economic  value  of  each  in  Texas 

meadows  and  pastures. 

7.  WEEDS. 

a.  List  of  weeds  most  troublesome  on  the  farm. 

b.  Weeds  injurious  to  the  garden. 

c.  Collect  samples  of  seeds  from  twenty-five  noxious  weeds 

and  learn  to  identify  the  weed  by  its  seed. 

d.  Examine  samples  of  wheat,  clover,  and  alfalfa  for  weed 

seed. 

e.  Classify  all  weeds  studied  according  to  their  length  of  life 

and  tell  ways  in  which  they  cause  harm. 

f.  Study  the  habit  of  growth,  manner  of  dissemination  and 

method  of  eradication  of  some  of  the  worst  weeds. 

8.  TREES. 

a.  Valuable  for  timber. 

1.     Study  the  school  building  and  its  furniture,  nam- 
ing the  trees  from  which  the  lumber  was  made. 
2:     Kinds  of  lumber  used  in  farm  buildings. 

3.  Timber  used  for  fencing. 

4.  The  black  locust  for  post  timber. 

b.  Rate  at  which  our  timber  trees  are  disappearing. 

c.  Trees  used  for  shade  and  ornamental  purposes. 

d.  Planting  trees. 

e.  Care   of   trees,  giving   special  emphasis  to   pruning  and 

spraying. 

f.  Enemies  of  trees.     Insects,  borers,  forest  fires,  man,  etc. 

g.  Forest  preservation  and  reforestation. 

9.  FRUITS.     Their  culture  and  uses. 

a.  Pome  fruits.  Apple,  pear,  quince. 

b.  Stone  fruits.  Peach,  plum,  cherry. 

c.  Citrus  fruits.  Orange,  grape,  lime,  lemon,  etc. 

d.  Bush  fruits.  Dewberry,  blackberry,  gooseberry,  currant, 

etc. 

e.  Nut  fruits.     Pecan,  walnut,  hickory  nut,  etc. 

f.  Grapes,  strawberries,  figs,  and  persimmons. 

g.  Enemies    of    fruit-bearing    plants    and   fruit,    and   their 

control. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      47 

III.     ANIMAL  LIFE. 

1.  FARM  ANIMALS.  Continue  the  study  of  types  and  breeds 
as  suggested  for  the  fifth  grade.  Encourage  the  boys  to 
feed  a  pig  or  a  calf  for  the  market.  Have  a  live  stock  show 
at  the  school  building,  and  have  each  student  exhibit  poul- 
try, pigs,  calves,  cows,  or  any  other  form  of  live  stock  com- 
petitively. Have  a  competent  judge  place  the  animals  in 
each  class  and  award  prizes  or  ribbons. 

a.  Cattle.     Beef,  dairy,  and  dual  purpose. 

b.  Horses.     Draft,  coach,  and  roadster. 

c.  Pigs.     Bacon  and  lard  type. 

d.  Sheep.     Fine  wool,  mutton,  and  dual  purpose. 

e.  Goats.     Milk,  and  those  bred  for  fleece. 

f.  Care  of  live  stock. 

1.  Good    barn    accommodations    with    reference    to 

warmth,  light,  ventilation,  and  cleanliness. 

2.  Exercise,  watering,  and  grooming. 

3.  Treatment  of  common  diseases. 

4.  Dehorning  cattle. 

a.  Advantage. 

b.  Methods'. 

5.  Live  stock  sanitation  on  the  farm. 

a.  Care  of  stalls. 

b.  Necessity  of  clean  water. 

c.  Danger    of    ponds    and    pools    as   watering 

places,  etc. 

g.  Feeds  and  feeding. 

1.  Kinds  of  feed  used. 

2.  Conveniences  for  feeding. 

3.  Time  and  manner  of  feeding. 

4.  Amount    of    feed    required    daily    for    different 

animals. 

5.  Estimated  cost  of  feeding  a  horse  for  one  year. 

6.  Cost  of  feeding  a  cow  for  one  year. 

7.  Become  familiar  with  such  terms  as  protein,  car- 

bohydrates, fats,  etc.     Learn  what  is  meant  by 
balanced  ration,  nutrition,  etc. 


48  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

h.     Dairying. 

1.  Breeds  of  dairy  cattle. 

2.  Breed  most  prominent  in  your  community. 

3.  Milk-producing  ration  for  the  dairy  cow. 

4.  Sanitary  conditions  around  the  dairy. 

5.  Clean  handling  of  milk. 

6.  Testing  milk  for  butter  fat. 

7.  Cream  separation. 

8.  Selling  the  dairy  products. 

9.  The  silo  as  related  to  the  dairy. 

2.     BIRDS. 

a.  Poultry. 

1.  Types  of  chickens. 

2.  Most  important  breeds  of  each  type. 

3.  Characteristics  and  habits  of  the  more  prominent 

breeds. 

4.  General  principles  of  poultry  management. 

a.  Season  to  hatch  so  that  pullets  will  become 

winter  layers. 

b.  Food  necessary  to  egg  production. 

c.  Best  age  for  selling  male  birds. 

d.  Age    at    which    hens    usually    cease    to    be 

profitable. 

e.  Use  of  incubators  in  the  poultry  industry. 

f.  Care  of  young  chicks. 

g.  Care  of  full  grown  birds. 

h.     Diseases  of  poultry,  their  prevention  and 

cure, 
i.     Poultry  houses. 

b.  Wild  birds. 

1.  Birds  that  feed  almost  wholly  on  insects.     Swal- 

lows, woodpeckers,  wrens,  etc. 

2.  Birds  feeding  on  both  vegetable  and  animal  food. 

Blue  jay,  catbird,  robin,  mockingbird,  etc. 

3.  Birds  that  feed  largely  on  weed  seed.     The  spar- 

rows, finches,  doves,  meadow  larks,  and  quails. 

4.  Birds  that  eat  the  cotton  boll  weevil.     More  than 

thirty  birds  are  known  to  feed  on  the  cotton 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      49 

boll  weevil  in  Texas.  Many  others  probably  aid 
the  farmer  in  holding  this  pest  in  check.  The 
swallows,  nighthawks,  blackbirds,  meadow  larks, 
orioles,  quails,  and  others  feed  heavily  on  it  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year. 

5.  Birds  that  live  almost  wholly  on  rodents.     Some 

of  our  hawks  and  owls. 

6.  Study  the  food  habits  of  all  the  resident  and 

migratory  birds  and  determine  their  economic 
value  to  the  community. 

7.  Enemies  of  birds  and  their  control.    Man,  snakes, 

cats,  minks,  foxes,  English  sparrows,  etc. 

8.  Practicums. 

a.  Allowing   one   bird  to  each  acre,  and  one- 

fourth  ounce  of  weed  seed  for  each  bird 
daily,  how  many  pounds  of  weed  seed 
would  the  birds  on  a  one  hundred-acre 
farm  eat  in  three  months? 

b.  Mocking   birds   have   been  known  to   feed 

their  young  one  hundred  and  eighteen  to 
one  hundred  and  fifty  times  daily,  and 
it  is  a  common  thing  for  a  wren  to  feed 
its  young  two  hundred  times  daily.  The 
food  of  all  nestlings  is  insects.  Allowing 
a  pair  of  birds  for  every  two  acres,  and 
two  hundred  insects  daily  for  each  nest, 
how  many  insects  would  be  destroyed  on 
a  one  hundred-acre  farm  in  one  month? 

3.  •  AQUATIC  AND  SEMI-AQUATIC  ANIMAL  LIFE. 

a.  Brief  study  of  the  fish  in  the  streams  of  Texas.     Study 

the  kinds;  time  of  spawning;  food  habits;  peculiar 
characteristics ;  best  season  for  fishing ;  game  laws  pro- 
tecting in  other  states ;  lack  of  protection  in  Texas,  etc. 

b.  Brief   study  of  alligators,   crocodiles,   whales,   and   other 

forms, 
c^     Frogs.     Food  habits,  life  history,  etc. 


50  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

4.     INSECTS. 

a.  Pests. 

1.  List  of  insects  most  injurious  to  growing  crops. 

2.  Insects  injurious  to  stored  grain. 

3.  Common  garden  insects. 

4.  Insects  injurious  to  the  orchard. 

5.  Insects  injurious  to  live  stock. 

6.  Enemies  of  public  health. 

7.  Household  pests. 

b.  Classification  of  insects  as  regards  manner  of  obtaining 

food. 

1.  Sucking  insects. 

2.  Biting  or  gnawing  insects. 

c.  Control. 

1.  Natural    enemies:    birds,    toads,    frogs,    lizards, 

spiders,  other  insects,  etc. 

2.  Spraying. 

a.  'For    sucking    insects;    kerosene    emulsion, 

whale  oil  soap,  and  sometimes  lime  sul- 
phur is  effective. 

b.  For  gnawing  insects:  Paris  green,  arsenate 

of  lead,  hellebore,  etc. 

3.  Fumigation. 

a.  For  stored  grains:  carbon  bisulphide  or  hy- 

drocyanic acid  gas. 

b.  For  deep-borers:     squirt  a  small  amount  of 

carbon  bisulphide  in  the  holes  and  stop 
up  with  putty. 

c.  For  woolly  aphis,  root  louse  of  apple,  phyl- 

loxera or  any  scale  or  sucking  insects  on 
young  plants  for  transplanting,  fumigate 
with  hydrocyanic  acid  gas. 

d.  Demonstration  of  fumigation  methods  may 

be  given  by  the  teacher.  Students  should 
not  be  allowed  to  handle  any  poisons 
through  this  grade. 

4.  Shallow-boring  insects  may  be  dug  out  from  under 

the  bark  with  a  sharp  knife. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      51 

d.  Cost  of  control.    Compare  cost  of  control  with  the  amount 

of  damage  done  annually. 

e.  Beneficial  insects. 

1.  Make  a  list  of  insects  helpful  to  man. 

2.  Ways  in  which  they  are  helpful. 

3.  Protection  of  beneficial  insects. 

f.  Become  familiar  with  the  life  histories  of  all  of  the  most 

troublesome  insect  pests. 

g.  Make  a  collection  of  insects  for  the  school-room.    Mount 

those  that  may  be  kept  in  mounts,  and  preserve  others 
in  formalin  solutions  or  alcohol. 

IV.     MAKE  PLANS  FOR  VACATION  WORK  BEFOEE 
LEAVING  SCHOOL. 

Each  student  should  have  one  or  more  projects  and  should  have 
his  work  on  these  carefully  outlined  for  the  summer. 

V.  PLANS  OF  IDEAL  COUNTRY  HOUSE  WITH  WATER, 

LIGHTS  AND  SEWAGE. 

VI.  PLAN  OF  THE  HOME  GROUNDS  AS  YOU  WOULD 

LIKE  THEM. 


52  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 


SEVENTH  GRADE 

The  work  in  the  seventh  grade  should  be  given  as  elementary 
agriculture.  The  state-adopted  text,  Ferguson  and  Lewis's  "Ele- 
mentary Principles  of  Agriculture,"  should  form  the  basis  of  work. 
This  should  be  supplemented  largely  by  readings  from  other  texts 
and  a  large  amount  of  bulletin  work.  There  are  a  large  number 
of  texts  on  elementary  agriculture  published  today,  and  an  abun- 
dance of  usable  material  in  the  form  of  farmers'  bulletins  and 
other  bulletins  and  circulars  issued  by  the  United  States  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  and  the  experiment  stations  of  the  various 
states.  Each  school  in  Texas  should  receive  also  some  good  farm 
papers  and  one  good  daily  paper.  One  good  farm  paper,  one  of  the 
semi-weeklies  with  a  farm  department,  and  one  poultry  journal 
should  be  placed  on  the  reading  desk  of  every  rural  school  regu- 
larly and  the  students  should  be  encouraged  to  read  them. 

I.     SOIL. 

1.     PHYSICAL  PROPERTIES. 

a.  Origin.     Directly  or  indirectly  from  the  disintegration  of 

rocks.  Disintegration  is  caused  by  prolonged  action  of 
heat,  cold,  air,  water,  frost,  etc.,  and  by  low  forms  of 
animal  and  vegetable  life. 

b.  Classification  of  soils  with  reference  to  origin. 

1.  Sedentary  soils. 

2.  Transported  soils. 

a.  Agencies  of  transportation. 

b.  Ends  of  transported  soils. 

c.  Classification  of  soils  with  reference  to  their  constituents. 

1.  Sandy  soils. 

2.  Clay  soils. 

3.  Loamy  soils,  etc. 

d.  Classification  of  soils  with  reference  to  moisture. 

1.  Arid. 

2.  Semi-arid. 

3.  Humid. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      53 

e.  Soil  temperature. 

1.  Influenced  by  color  of  soil. 

2.  Influenced  by  fineness  of  soil  particles. 

3.  Exposure. 

4.  Drainage. 

f .  Soil  moisture. 

1.  Kinds.     Hygroscopic,   capillary,   and  hydrostatic. 

2.  Kinds  utilized  by  plants. 

3.  Kind  of  soil  losing  or  absorbing  moisture  most 

readily. 

a.  Effects  of  different  kinds  of  cultivation  on 

soil  moisture. 

b.  Best  methods  of  conserving. 

c.  Function  of  soil  moisture. 

g.  Irrigation. 

1.  Methods  of  applying  water. 

2.  Benefits  of  irrigation, 
h.     Drainage. 

1.  Kinds  of  drains. 

2.  Benefits  of  drainage, 
i.     Careful  study  of  subsoil. 

2.     CHEMICAL  COMPOSITION  OF  THE  SOIL. 

a.  Elements  present  in  the  soil — carbon,  oxygen,  hydrogen, 

potassium,  phosphorus,  nitrogen,  sulphur,  lime,  iron, 
magnesium,  silica,  etc. 

b.  Eelative  importance  of  each  element. 

c.  Elements  abundant  in  the  soil. 

d.  Special  study  of  lime,  potash,  phosphorus  and  nitrogen, 

and  their  relation  to  farm  products. 

e.  Alkali  and  acid  soils. 

1.  Tests  for  acidity. 

2.  Effect  on  crops. 

3.  Neutralization. 

f.  Humus.     Decaying   organic  matter  composed  of  carbon, 

hydrogen,  oxygen,  nitrogen,  mineral  elements,  etc. 
1.     Importance  of  humus. 

a.  Nitrogen  supply. 

b.  Mineral  plant  food  supply. 


54  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

c.  Effect  on  retention  of  moisture. 

d.  Source  of  warmth. 

e.  Improver  of  texture. 

f.  Aid    to    bacteria    and    other    micro-organic 

growth  in  soil. 

g.  Preventive  of  washing  and  leaching. 

3.     SOIL  FERTILITY. 

a.  Causes  for  decreased  production  of  soils. 

1.  Loss  of  the  essential  plant  food  elements. 

2.  Loss  of  humus. 

3.  Poor  physical  condition  of  soil. 

b.  How  constituents  are  lost. 

1.  Continued  growth  of  tilled  crops. 

2.  Leaching. 

3.  Washing. 

c.  Commercial  plant  food. 

1.  Nitrogen. 

2.  Phosphorus. 

3.  Potassium. 

d.  Source  of  fertilizers.     Emphasize  the  use  of  leguminous 

crops  for  nitrogen;  the  use  of  ground  rock  phosphate 
and  agricultural  lime. 

e.  Humus. 

1.  Loss  of  humus. 

2.  Increase  of  humus  content. 

a.  Green  manures. 

b.  Farm  manures. 

c.  Accumulations  in  pasturing. 

f.  Barnyard  manures. 

1.  Value  (factors  influencing). 

2.  Amount  produced  by  farm  animals. 

3.  Care  and  handling  of  manures. 

4.  Application  of  manure. 

g.  Green  manuring. 

1.  Importance. 

2.  Kind  of  crops  used. 

h.     Careful  study  of  the  needs  of  Texas  soils. 


Nature  Study  and  A  griculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      55 

4.  ROTATION  OF  CROPS  AND  CONSERVATION  OF  SOIL  FERTILITY. 

a.  Purpose  of  crop  rotation. 

b.  Advantages. 

c.  Plan  of  rotation  for  your  community. 

5.  PREPARATION  OF  SOILS  FOR  CROPS. 

a.  Time  of  plowing. 

b.  Depth  of  plowing. 

c.  Methods  of  cultivation  after  plowing. 

d.  Object  of  cultivation. 

1.  To  improve  physical  condition. 

2.  Conserve  soil  moisture. 

3.  Destroy  weeds. 

4.  Destroy  insect  pests. 

5.  Aid  in  liberating  plant  food. 

II.     PLANTS. 

1.  PLANT  STRUCTURE. 

a.  The  cell — the  unit  of  structure. 

b.  Structure  and  function  of  stem,  roots,  leaves,  flower  and 

seed. 

1.     Compare    structure    of    monocotyledons    and    di- 
cotyledons. 

c.  Structure  and  habits  of  a  typical  fungus. 

d.  Reproduction  in  plants. 

1.  Spores. 

2.  Seed.    ' 

3.  Vegetative. 

2.  SEED  STUDY. 

a.  Collect  seeds  of  all  the  grain  and  forage  crops  growing 

in  the  district,  classifying  as  follows: 

1.  Seeds  from  strong,  healthy  plants. 

2.  Seeds  from  weak  plants. 

b.  Test  samples  of  each  for 

1.  Purity. 

2.  Vitality. 

3.  Effect  on  germination. 

a.     Different  types  of  soil. 


56  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

b.  Size  of  seeds. 

c.  Age  of  seeds. 

d.  Character  of  plant  from  which  seed  is  taken. 

e.  Depth  of  seeding. 

f.  Moisture. 

g.  Temperature, 
h.  Air. 

c.  Importance  of  seed  selection  in  improving  crops. 

d.  Best  method  of  selecting  seed  grain. 

e.  Importance  of  proper  curing  and  storage. 

f.  Value  of  germination  test. 

3.     FARM  CROPS. 
a.     Corn. 

1.  History  and  types. 

2.  Varieties  grown  in  Texas. 

a.  Boone  County  White. 

b.  White  and  yellow  gourd  seed. 

c.  Munson. 

d.  Hickory  King. 

e.  Laguna. 

3.  Corn  judging  by  the  use  of  score  card  adopted 

by  Texas  State  Corn  Growers'  Association. 

4.  Method  and  value  of  testing  seed  for  germination. 

5.  Study  of  corn  plant. 

a.  Boot  system.     Extent  of  feeding. 

b.  Stem — typical  monocotyledons. 

c.  Flowers. 

1.  Tassel-staminate. 

2.  Ear-pistillate. 

6.  Plowing  corn.     Time,  depth,  etc. 

7.  Preparation  of  seed  bed. 

8.  Planting.     Time,  distance,  depth,  etc. 

9.  Cultivation. 

a.  How  to  cultivate. 

b.  Time  to  cultivate. 

c.  Shallow  against  deep  cultivation. 


Mature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      57 

10.  Selecting  seed  corn. 

a.  Importance  of  selecting. 

b.  Method  of  selecting. 

c.  Time  to  select. 

11.  Harvesting  corn. 

a.  Degree  of  maturity  for  silage. 

b.  Degree  of  maturity  for  fodder. 

c.  Degree  of  maturity  for  ears  only. 

d.  Decrease  in  yield  from  pulling  fodder  and 

topping  corn. 

12.  Care  of  crop  after  harvesting. 

13.  Uses  of  crop. 

a.  Feed  for  live  stock. 

b.  Human  food. 

c.  Commercial  products. 

14.  Yield  of  corn. 

a.  Acreage  for  the  United  States. 

b.  Average  yield  per  acre. 

c.  Acreage  for  Texas. 

d.  Average  yield  per  acre. 

15.  Methods  of  corn  improvement. 

a.  Seed  selection  in  the  field. 

b.  Corn  breeding. 

16.  Enemies   of   corn — control   measures, 
b.     Cotton. 

1.  History  and  types. 

2.  Principal  Texas  varieties. 

a.  Mebane. 

b.  King. 

c.  Eussel. 

d.  Rowden. 

3.  Study  of  the  cotton  plant. 

a.  The  stem,  roots,  branches,  flowers,  and  boils. 

b.  The  lint  and  seed. 

4.  Cotton  cultivation. 

a.  Plowing.     Time,  depth,  method  of  prepar- 

ing land,  etc. 

b.  Testing  the  seed  for  germination;  method 

and  importance  of. 


58  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

Planting.     Time,  distance,  depth,  etc. 
Tillage.     Methods,  time,  depth,  frequency, 

etc. 
e.     Fertilizers  for  cotton. 

5.  Selecting  seed  cotton. 

a.  Importance  of  selecting. 

b.  How  to  select  seed. 

c.  Time  to  select  seed. 

6.  Harvesting,  marketing  and  storing. 

a.  Picking  and  ginning  cotton. 

b.  The  commercial  classes  or  grades  of  cotton. 

c.  Marketing.     Time,  method,  etc. 

d.  Storing.     In  the  open,  under  sheds,  ware- 

houses, etc. 

7.  Uses  of  cotton. 

a.  Fibre.     Clothing  and  shelter. 

b.  Human  food.     Cotton  seed,  flour  and  oil. 

c.  Feed  for  live  stock. 

8.  Cotton  statistics. 

a.  The  total  cotton  crop  of  the  world. 

b.  'Acreage,  yield  and  value  of  cotton  crop  in 

the  United  States. 

c.  Acreage,  yield  and  value  of  cotton  crop  in 

in  Texas. 

9.  Methods  of  cotton  improvement. 

a.  Seed  selection  i,n  the  field. 

b.  The  seed  patch. 

10.  Cotton   insects.     Boll  weevil,  boll  worm,  cotton- 

leaf  worm,  etc. 

11.  Cotton  diseases.    Root  rot,  cotton  wilt,  etc. 
c.     Wheat. 

1.  Origin  and  importance. 

2.  Name    and    locate   the   leading   wheat-producing 

states. 

3.  Preparation  of  seed  bed. 

4.  Sowing.      Depth,    distance    between    drills    and 

amount  per  acre. 

5.  Cultivation  after  sowing. 

6.  Conditions  favorable  to  wheat  crop. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      59 

7.  Pasturing  wheat.    How  injurious. 

8.  Degree  of  maturity  for  harvesting. 

9.  Method  of  handling  wheat  before  threshing. 

10.  Threshing. 

11.  Care  of  stored  grain  and  marketing. 

12.  Products  of  wheat  kernel/ 

13.  Value  of  wheat  crop. 

14.  Yield  in  Texas.  ' 

15.  Cost  of  production. 

16.  Enemies  of  wheat  crop. 

cl.     Oats,  barley,  and  rye.     Study  under  outline  suggested  for 

wheat, 
e.     Alfalfa. 

1.  Varieties. 

2.  Study  of  the  alfalfa  plant. 

a.  Root  system.    Length,  depth  and  nodules. 

b.  Leaf.    Number  of  leaves  and  leaflets. 

c.  Stem.     Length,   size,   and   general   appear- 

ance. 

d.  Examine  seed  for  impurities. 

e.  Learn  to  recognize  the  seed  of  alfalfa. 

f.  Test  seed  for  germination. 

3.  Sowing  alfalfa. 

a.  Time  of  sowing.     Fall  versus  spring. 

b.  Kind  of  seed  bed. 

c.  Method  of  sowing. 

4.  Time  to  cut  alfalfa. 

5.  Making  hay. 

6.  Number  of  cuttings  per  season. 

7.  Amount  of  hay  per  acre. 

8.  Value  of  hay  as  food  for  live  stock. 

9.  Production  of  alfalfa  seed. 

a.  Threshing. 

b.  Yield  per  acre. 

c.  Price  per  bushel. 

10.     Relation  of  alfalfa  to  soil  fertility. 

a.  Nitrogen  supply. 

b.  Liming  the  soil  for  alfalfa. 

c.  Replacing  phosphorus  and  potassium. 


60  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

f.  Clovers,   vetches,  cowpeas,   and  soy  beans.     Study  under 

outline  suggested  for  alfalfa. 

g.  Grasses  for  hay :  millet,  Johnson  grass,  Sudan  grass,  rescue 

grass,  etc. 

1.  Study  of  seed  as  outlined  for  alfalfa. 

2.  Preparation  of  seed  bed. 

3.  Seeding. 

a.  Time  to  sow. 

b.  Amount  per  acre. 

c.  Method  of  sowing. 

4.  Length  of  time  from  seeding  to  first  hay  crop. 

5.  Time  to  cut  for  hay. 

6.  Curing  and  caring  for  hay. 

7.  Amount  produced  per  acre. 

8.  Value  as  a  feed. 

9.  Care  of  meadows. 

10.     Length  of  life  of  meadows. 

h.     Grasses  used  for  pastures.     Bermuda,  mesquite,  buffalo, 
rescue  grasses,  etc. 

1.  Value  of  permanent  pastures. 

2.  Care  of  pastures. 

3.  Length  of  life, 
i.     Sorghums. 

1.  Kinds. 

a.  Saccharine.    Amber,  orange,  goose  neck,  etc. 

b.  Non-saccharine.    Kaffir,  milo,  feterita,  kow- 

liang,  etc. 

2.  Preparation  of  seed  bed. 

3.  Seeding. 

4.  Cultivation. 

5.  Uses  of  sorghum. 

a.  As  human  food. 

b.  Food  for  live  stock. 

6.  Importance  of  sorghums  in  Texas, 
j.     Potatoes. 

1.  Brief  history  of  the  potato. 

2.  Kind  of  soil  best  suited  to  potato  growing. 

3.  Preparation  of  seed  bed. 
*4.  Selection  of  seed  potatoes. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      61 

5.  Cutting  the  seed.     Number  of  eyes,  etc. 

6.  Planting.     Distance  apart,  depth,  etc. 

7.  Cultivation  and  harvesting. 

8.  What  is  considered  a  good  yield?    Does  your  local- 

ity produce  a  good  yield? 

9.  Insect  enemies  of  the  potato.      (Review  life  his- 

tory of  potato  beetle.) 

10.  Diseases  of  the  potato.    Blight,  rot,  and  scab. 

11.  Spraying. 

a.  For  potato  bug,  use  arsenate  of  lead  or  Paris 

green. 

b.  For  potato  blight,  use  Bordeaux  mixture. 

12.  Importance  of  rotation  of  crops  in  preventing  rot 

and  scab. 

13.  Uses  of  the  potato. 

4.     WEEDS. 

a.  Definition. 

b.  Ways  in  which  weeds  cause  harm. 

1.  Reduce  soil  fertility. 

2.  Reduce  soil  moisture. 

3.  Shade  and  crowd  growing  crops. 

4.  Poisonous  weeds  cause  loss  of  live  stock. 

5.  Harbor  insect  pests  and  fungus  diseases. 

6.  Immense   amount   of   labor  required   in   control- 

ling weeds. 

7.  Presence  of  weed  seeds  lowers  the  price  of  threshed 

'  grains. 

c.  Classification   of   weeds   according  to   methods   of   repro- 

duction. 

1.  By  seed  alone.     Annuals. 

2.  By  root  alone.     Horse  radish. 

3.  By  stem  and  seed.     Crab  grass. 

4.  By  both  root  and  seed.     Johnson  grass. 

5.  By  stem  and  root.     Berumda  grass. 

d.  Classification  according  to  methods  of  eradication. 

e.  Make  a  careful  study  of  the  weeds  in  the  district,  and 

make  a  list  of  the    (a)    annuals;    (b)   biennials;    (c) 
perennials. 


62  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

f.  Collect  seeds  in   small  bottles  from  twenty  annuals,  five 

biennials,  and  five  perennials  in  the  neighborhood. 

g.  Learn  to  recognize  the  weed  by  its  seed. 

h.  Examine  samples  of  alfalfa  seed  and  millet  seed,  etc.,  for 
weed  seed.  Make  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  weed 
seed  per  thousand  of  seed  examined. 

i.  Agencies  of  weed  dissemination.  Wind,  water,  birds,  ani- 
mals, human  beings,  threshing  outfits,  railroads,  weedy 
seed  grain,  etc. 

j.     Weed  control. 

1.  Select  pure  seed  for  the  farm. 

2.  Never  allow  a  weed  to  mature  seed. 

3.  Have  seed  bed  clean  before  planting  any  crop. 

4.  Plant  crops  that  will  hold  weeds  in  check. 

5.  Proper  rotation  of  crops, 
k.     Weed  extermination. 

1.  Spraying  for  certain  annuals. 

2.  Kerosene,  gasoline,  salt,  etc.,  for  certain  peren- 

nials. 

3.  Clean  cultivation  and  summering  fallow  for  all 

weeds. 

5.     OBCHARDS. 

a.  Selecting  the  location  with  reference  to  drainage  (air  and 

water)  conditions,  exposure,  etc. 

b.  Careful  study  of  the  soil  and  the  subsoil  for  orcharding. 

c.  Adaptation  of  pear,  apple,  etc.,  to  certain  soils. 

d.  List  of  varieties  grown  in  the  community. 

e.  Suggested  list  of  apples,  plums,  and  peaches  for  Texas.. 

1.  Apples.    Summer:  Astrachan,  Early  Harvest,  Eed 

June,  Summer  Queen,  etc.  Fall  and  winter: 
Arkansas  Black,  Jonathan,  Missouri  Pippin, 
Winesap,  etc. 

2.  Plums.    Burbank,  Golden  Beauty,  Gonzales,  Shire, 

Happiness,  Nona,  etc. 

3.  Peaches.     The   cling  varieties.     Elberta,  Mamie 

Eoss,  Onderdonk,  etc.  (Consult  catalogue  of 
nearest  nursery  for  varieties  best  suited  to  your 
locality.) 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      63 

f.  Preparation  of  soil  for  planting. 

1.  Cultivation  for  good  tilth  in  surface  soil. 

2.  Subsoiling.     Dynamiting  and  using  subsoil  plow. 

3.  Fertilization. 

g.  Laying  out  orchard, 
h.     Planting  the  trees. 

1.  Time  to  plant. 

2.  Boot  pruning. 

3.  Top  pruning. 

4.  How  to  plant  properly, 
i.     Orchard  soil  management. 

1.  Orchard    cropping.      Advantages    and    disadvan- 

tages. 

2.  Clean  culture.     Advantages. 

3.  Sod  mulch.     Advantages  and  disadvantages, 
j.     Propagation  of  fruits. 

1.  Cuttings.     Hardwood  and  green  cuttings. 

2.  Budding.     T  budding  and  ring  budding. 

3.  Grafting.     Whip  (root)  grafting  and  cleft  graft- 

ing. 

4.  Layerage. 
k.     Pruning. 

1.  Time  to  prune. 

2.  How  to  prune. 

3.  Effect  on  quality  of  fruit. 

4.  Effect  on  quantity  of  fruit. 
1.     Improvement  of  fruits. 

1.  Selection. 

2.  Crossing. 

m.     Insect  enemies  and  their  control. 

1.  Codling  moth,  San  Jose  scale,  etc. 

2.  Spray  with  lime  sulphur,  Paris  green,  etc. 
n.     Fungus  diseases  and  their  control. 

1.  Mildew,  scab,  etc. 

2.  Spray  with  Bordeaux  mixture,  lime  sulphur,  etc. 
o.     Spraying. 

1.  Object  of  spraying. 

2.  Time  to  spray. 


64  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

3.  Kinds  of  sprays  and  how  to  mix. 

4.  Spraying  machinery. 

p.     Economic  value  of  birds  and  toads  to  the  orchard. 

III.     FARM  AMMALS. 

1.  HORSES. 

a.  Origin  and  brief  history. 

b.  Types  of  horses.    Draft,  coach,  roadster,  saddle,  and  speed. 

c.  Breeds  of  horses. 

d.  Improvement  of  breeds. 

e.  Care  and  management. 

f.  Diseases. 

g.  Judging    horses.      Practical    work    in    telling    age    and 

judging. 

2.  CATTLE. 

a.  Origin  and  history. 

b.  Types  and  breeds. 

1.  Beef.      Shorthorns,    Hereford,    Aberdeen    Angus, 

etc. 

2.  Dairy.    Jersey,  Guernsey,  Holstein,  etc. 

3.  Dual  purpose.     Brown  Swiss,  Devon,  Red  Polled, 

etc. 

c.  Improvement  of  breeds. 

d.  Care  and  management. 

e.  Diseases.    Special  study  of  tuberculosis  and  the  tuberculin 

test. 

f.  Judging  cattle. 

g.  Value  of  cattle  in  maintaining  soil  fertility. 

3.  SHEEP. 

a.  Native  home. 

b.  Present  distribution. 

c.  Types  and  breeds. 

1.  Fine  wool.     Merino,  Rambouillet,  Delaine,  etc. 

2.  Middle    wool.      Southdown,    Shropshire,    Hamp- 

shire, etc. 

3.  Long  wool.     Lincoln,  Leicester,  Cotswold. 

d.  Improvement  of  sheep. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      65 

e.  Value  of  sheep  in  maintaining  soil  fertility  and  as  reno- 

vators of  brush  land. 

f.  Common  diseases  and  their  control. 

g.  Care  and  management  of  the  herd. 

4.  HOGS. 

a.  History  and  distribution. 

b.  Types  and  breeds. 

1.  Bacon  type.    Large  Yorkshire,  Tamworth,  Hamp- 

shire, etc. 

2.  Lard  types.     Poland  China,   Berkshire,   Chester 

White. 

c.  Improvement  of  hogs. 

d.  Pure  bred  hogs  and  scrubs  as  to  the  cost  of  fattening. 

e.  Care  and  management. 

f.  Judging. 

g.  Common  diseases  and  manner  of  treatment, 
h.  The  brood  sow.     Care,  shelter,  and  feed. 

i.     Care  of  growing  pigs. 

5.  GOATS. 

a.     Brief  study  of  goats  and  their  relation  to  agricultural  con- 
ditions of  Texas. 

6.  POULTRY. 

a.  Types  and  breeds. 

1.  Meat  breeds:  Cochin,  Brahma,  etc. 

2.  General  purpose  breeds:  Plymouth  Eock,  Rhode 

Island  Red,  etc. 

3.  Egg  breeds :  Leghorn,  Minorca,  etc. 

4.  Ornamental  breeds:  Bantam,  Game,  etc. 

b.  Care  and  management. 

1.  Location  and  construction  of  houses. 

2.  Houses  should  be  floored,  dry,  well  lighted,  well 

heated,  and  well  ventilated. 

3.  Importance  of  cleanliness. 

4.  Spraying  and  whitewashing  of  poultry  houses. 

5.  Feeding.     Kind  of  feed,  frequency,  and  amount 

of  feeding. 

6.  Improvement  of  poultry. 


66  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

7.  Raising  chicks. 

a.  Hatching.      Incubators    as    compared    with 

hens. 

b.  Raising.     Brooders  as  compared  with  hens. 

c.  Feeding  and  care  of  chicks. 

8.  Preserving  and  marketing  eggs. 

9.  Poultry  diseases. 

a.  Common  diseases  and  their  treatment. 

b.  Loss  caused  by  poultry  diseases. 
10.     Insect  pests. 

a.  Lice  and  mites. 

b.  Preventive  measures. 

7.  FEEDS  AND  FEEDING. 

a.  Different  kinds  of  feed  used  in  community. 

b.  Materials  used  for  f eed. 

c.  Composition   of   feeds.     Water,   ash,   protein,   fat,   crude 

fibre,  nitrogen  free  extract. 

d.  Function  of  different  nutrients. 

e.  Digestibility  of  different  foods. 

f.  Foods  classified  as  concentrates;  roughages. 

g.  Uses  of  feed.     Maintain  animal,  do  work,  and  produce 

growth. 

h.     Varying  the  food  with  the  work, 
i.     Amount  and  kind  of  feed  required  for  live  stock  under 

various  conditions, 
j.     Importance  of  succulent  feeds, 
k.     Effect  of  feeding  mouldy  feeds. 
1.     Regularity  of  feeding, 
m.     Balanced  ration.     Work  out  balanced  ration  for  different 

kinds  of  live  stock  with  feeds  in  the  community. 

8.  DAIRYING. 

a.  Breeds  of  dairy  cattle. 

b.  Breeds  best  adapted  for  Texas  conditions. 

c.  Ration  for  dairy  cow. 

d.  Relation  of  the  silo  to  the  dairy. 

e.  Location  of  the  dairy  barn  with  reference  to  other  farm 

buildings. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      67 

f.  Location  of  the  milk  room  with  reference  to  the  rest  of 

the  barn. 

g.  Sanitary  precautions. 

1.  Clean  stables  and  watering  places. 

2.  Keep  cows  in  a  cleanly  condition. 

3.  Cleanliness  of  clothing  and  person  of  attendant. 

4.  Prompt  removal  of  milk  from  stables. 

5.  Clean,  bright  milking  pails  and  milk  cans, 
h.     Care  of  milk  and  its  products. 

1.  Cleanliness  in  handling. 

2.  Creaming.     Shallow  pan  versus  cream  separator. 

3.  Eipening  and  churning  cream. 

4.  Making  and  salting  butter. 

•V     Wrapping,  packing,  and  marketing  the  butter, 
i.     Value  of  skim  milk  and  buttermilk  as  a  feed, 
j.     Babcock  test. 

1.  Importance  in  building  up  herd. 

2.  Apparatus  and  material  for  making  the  test. 

3.  Method  of  making  the  test. 

4.  Testing  the  cream,  whole  milk,  skim  milk,  and 

buttermilk. 

k.     Importance  of  the  dairy  in  maintaining  and  building  up 
soil  fertility. 

IV.     GOOD  ROADS. 

1.  Types  of  roads.     Careful  study  of  the  types  of  roads  in  the 

community. 

2.  Materials  used  in  building. 

3.  Methods  in  building. 

4.  Elements  that  make  up  a  good  road. 

5.  Importance  of  drainage. 

6.  Character  of  the  soil.     Effect  on  the  road. 

7.  Shell,   gravel   and   limestone.     Importance   of   each  in   road 

building. 

8.  Dirt  and  pike  roads.     Comparison  of  cost  and  service  of  the 

two. 

9.  Maintaining  the  road. 

10.     Road  grading  and  road  machinery. 


68  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

11.  Value  of  good  roads  to  the  community. 

12.  The  good  roads  movement. 

VII.     FARM  ARITHMETIC   AND  FARM  BOOKKEEPING. 

Give  the  students  such  problems  as  they  will  have  to  solve  on  the 
farm.  Give  them  something  other  than  text-book  work. 
Ask  them  to  make  a  problem  relating  to  the  farm  and 
hand  it  in  the  following  day.  They  will  surprise  you  by 
handing  in  a  splendid  list  of  practical  exercises.  Teach  a 
very  simple  method  of  bookkeeping,  and  the  importance  of 
farm  accounts.  Very  few  farmers  know  how  they  make  their 
money,  and  if  they  do  know  how,  they  never  know  how 
much.  It  is  important  that  the  farmer  know  the  cost  of 
production  of  every  farm  product  if  he  is  to  be  successful. 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      69 


BIBLIOGRAPHY    OF   REFERENCE   BOOKS    IN    NATURE 

STUDY  AND  AGRICULTURE  FOR  THE  RURAL 

SCHOOLS. 

1.  Allen — Flashlights  on  Nature.      (Doubleday) $1  35 

2.  Apgar— Birds  of  the  United  States.     (Am.  Bk.) 2  00 

3.  Blanchan — Birds  that  Hunt  and  are  Hunted.     (Double- 

day)    2  00 

4.  Blanchan — Birds    that    Every    Child    Should    Know. 

(Doubleday) 1  20 

5.  Blanchan — Nature's  Garden.      (Doubleday) 3  00 

6.  Brooks— The  Story  of  Cotton.     (Rand) 75 

7.  Burkett  &  Poe— Cotton.     (Doubleday) 2  00 

8.  Coburn— Alfalfa.      ( Judd)     50 

9.  Comstock — Handbook   of   Nature  'Study   for  Teachers. 

(Comstock  Pub.  Co.) 3  25 

10.  Comstock— The  Bird  Note  Books,  Nos.  1  and  2,  each. 

(Comstock  Pub.    Co.) .- 30 

11.  Corbett— Garden  Farming.      (Ginn) 2  00 

12.  Cummings — Nature  Study  for  Primary  Grades.     (Am. 

Bk.) 90 

13.  Cummings — Nature  Study  for  Lower  Grammar  Grades. 

(Am.  Bk.)    60 

14.  Cummings — Nature  Study  for  Higher  Grammar  Grades. 

(Am.  Bk.)    75 

15.  Davenport — Domesticated  Animals  and  Plants.    (Ginn)  1  25 

16.  Duggar — Fungous  Diseases  of  Plants.     (Ginn) 2  00 

17.  Duggar — Southern  Field  Crops.   (Macmillan) 1  75 

18.  Halligan — Fundamentals  of  Agriculture.     (Heath)  ...  1  20 

19.  .  Hodge—Nature  Study  and  Life.     (Ginn) 1  50 

20.  Hornaday — Our  Vanishing  Wild  Life.    (Scribner) ....   1  50 

21.  Jackman — Nature  Study  for  Grammar  Grades.     (Mac- 

millan)       1  00 

^2.     Kyle   &   Ellis — Fundamentals   of   Farming   and   Farm 

Life.     ( Scribner)    1  25 

23.  Lange — Handbook  of  Nature  Study.     (Macmillan) ...   1  00 

24.  MerTiam — Birds  of  the  Village  and  Field.      (Hough- 

ton)     2  00 


70  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Texas 

25.  McMurry — Nature  Study  Lessons.    (Macmillan) 60 

26.  Montgomery — The  Corn  Crops.     (Macmillan) 1  50 

27.  Nature   Study — Readers   for  the  Grades.      (Am.   Bk.) 

35c   to  1  25 

28.  Nature  Study— Readers  for  the  Grades.      (World  Bk. 

Co.)    35c  to  1  25 

29.  Parkhurst— How  to  Name  the  Birds.     (Scribner) '.  1  00 

30.  Parkhurst— The  Bird's  Calendar.      (Scribner) 1  50 

31.  Parkhurst — Song  Birds  and  Water  Fowl.     (Scribner).  1  50 

32.  Plumb — Beginnings    in    Animal    Husbandry.      (Webb 

Pub.) ". 1  25 

33.  Powell — Co-operation  in  Agriculture.     (Macmillan) ...  1  50 

34.  Reed— Nature  Studies— Birds.      (Doubleday) 60 

35.  Reed — Nature  Studies — In  Field  and  Woods.     (Double- 

day)    60 

36.  Reed— Flower  Guide— Wild  Flowers  East  of  the  Rock- 

ies.     (Doubleday) 1  00 

37.  Reed— Bird   Guide— Land  Birds  East  of  the  Rockies. 

(Doubleday)    1  00 

38.  Robinson — Principles  and  Practices  of  Poultry  Culture. 

(Ginn)    2  50 

39.  Rogers — A  Key  to  the  Nature  Library.     (Doubleday)  .  1  50 

40.  Sanderson     and     Jackson — Elementary     Entomology. 

(Ginn) 2  00 

41.  Schumaker — Study  of  Nature.     (Lippincott) 1  25 

42.  Scott— Nature  Study  and  the  Child.     (Heath) 1  50 

43.  Spillman — Farm  Grasses  in  the  United  States.    (Judd)  1  00 

44.  Warren — Farm  Management.      (Macmillan) 1  75 

45.  Waugh — Beginner's  Guide  to  Fruit  Growing.    (Judd)  .  75 

46.  Weed — Life    Histories    of    American    Insects.       (Mac- 

millan)   1  50 

47.  Weed— Seed  Travelers.      (Ginn) 25 

48.  Whitson  and  Walster — Soils  and  Soil  Fertility.    (Webb 

Pub.) 1  25 

49.  Wilkinson — Practical  Agriculture.     (Am.  Bk.) 100 

50.  Wilson — Nature   Study  in  Elementary   Schools  in  the 

First  and  Second  Grades,  each.     (Macmillan) 35 

51.  Wilson — Teacher's   Manual   in   Nature   Study.      (Mac- 

millan)  '.  90 


Nature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      71 

52.  Wilson  and  War  burton— tField  Crops.     (Webb  Pub.) .  .    1  50 

53.  Wing— Milk  and  Its  Products.     (Macmillan  Co.) 1  50 

54.  Wright— Birdcraft.      (Macmillan)    1  50 

Bibliography  of  Country  Life  Literature. 

1.  Anderson— The  Country  Town.      (Baker) $1  00 

2.  Anderson — The  Farmer  of  Tomorrow.     (Macmillan) .  .  1  50 

3.  Andrews— The  Call  of  the  Land.     ( Judd) 1  50 

4.  Ashenhurst— The  Day  of  the  Country  Church.    (Funk)  1  25 

5.  Bailey — The  Country  Life  Movement.    (Macmillan) .  .  1  25 

6.  Bailey— The  Outlook  to  Nature.     (Macmillan) 1  25 

7.  Bailey — Cyclopedia  of  American  Agriculture,  Vol.  IV. 

(Macmillan) 5  00 

8.  Bailey — The  Training  of  Farmers.     (Century) 1  00 

9.  Bancroft — Games  for  Playgrounds,  Home,  School,  and 

Gymnasium.      (Macmillan)    1  50 

10.  Bookwalter — Eural  vs.  Urban.     (Knickerbocker  Press)  4  00 

11.  Burbank— The  Training  of  the  Human  Plant.     (Cen- 

tury)            60 

12.  Butterfield — Chapters    in    Eural    Progress.      (Chicago 

Univ.  Press) 1  00 

13.  Butterfield— The  Country  Church  and  the  Rural  Prob- 

lem.    (Chicago  Univ.  Press) 1  00 

14.  Carver — Principles  of  Rural  Economics.     (Ginn) 1  30 

15.  Collins — New  Agriculture.     (Munn) ..  .  2  00 

16.  Cubberly — The    Improvement    of    the    Rural    School. 

(Houghton) 35 

17.  Davenport — Education  for  Efficiency.     (Heath) 1  00 

18.  Dean— The  Worker  and  the  State.     (Century) 1  20 

19.  Dodd— The  Healthful  Farmhouse.     (Whitcomb  &  B.)  60 

20.  Field— The  Corn  Lady.     (Flanagan) 50 

21.  Fiske— The  "Challenge  of  the  Country.     (Y.  M.  C.  A.)  75 

22.  Foght— The  American  Rural  School.     (Macmillan)  ...  1  25 

23.  Forbush — The  Coming  Generation.      (Appleton) 1  50 

24.  Carney — Country  Life  and  the  Country  School.     (Row, 

Peterson) .   1  25 

25.  Gillette — Constructive    Rural    Sociology.      (Sturgis    & 

Walton)    2  00 


72  Bulletin  of  llif  University  of  Texas 

26.  Grayson — Adventures  of  Contentment.     (Doubleday)  .  .  1  20 

27.  Gowdy — Poems  for  the  Study  of  Language.     (Hough- 

ton) 40 

28.  Grice— Home  and  School.     (Sower) 60 

29.  Harwood — New  Creations  in  Plant  Life.     (Macmillan)  1  75 

30.  Harwood— The  New  Earth.     (Macmillan) 1  75 

31.  Hopkins— The  Story  of  the  Soil.     (Gorham  Press)  ...  1  50 

32.  Johnson — Education  by  Plays  and  Games.     (Ginn) ...  1  10 

33.  Johnson — What  to  do  at  Eecess.     (Ginn) 25 

34.  Kern — Among  Country  Schools.     (Ginn) 1  50 

35.  King — Social  Aspects  of  Education.     (Macmillan) ....  1  60 

36.  Leland — Playground  Technique  and  Playcraft.     (Bas- 

sette) " 2  50 

37.  McKeever — Farm  Boys  and  Girls.     (Macmillan) 1  50 

38.  Mero — American  Playgrounds.      (Baker) 2  00 

39.  Mowbray — The  Making  of  a  Country  Home.     (Double- 

day) ." 1  50 

40.  Page— Roads,  Paths,  and  Bridges.     (Sturgis  &  Walton)  1  00 

41.  Perry — Wider   Use   of   the    School   Plant.      (Charities 

Pub.  Com.)    1  25 

42.  Plunkett— The    Rural    Life    Problem    in    the    United 

States.      (Macmillan) . .  1  25 

43.  Powell — How  to  Live  in  the  Country.      (Outing  Pub. 

Co.) 1  75 

44.  Seerley— The  Country  School.      (Scribner) 1  00 

45.  Snedden — The     Problem     of     Vocational     Education. 

(Houghton)     35 

46.  Stern — Neighborhood     Entertainments.        (Sturgis     & 

Walton)    ' 1  00 

47.  Wilson — Evolution  of  a  Country  Community.     (Pilgrim 

Press)    1  25 

48.  Wilson— The  Church  of  the  Open  Country.     (Mission- 

ary  Educ.   Mov.) 50 

49.  Wray— Jean  Mitchell's  School— Public  School 1  00 

50.  Report  of  the  Country  Life  Commission.     (Sturgis  & 

Walton)    '.'.,  75 


Mature  Study  and  Agriculture  for  Rural  Schools  of  Texas      73 

Addresses  of  Publishers  and  Key  to  Abbreviations. 

Am.  Bk. — American  Book  Co.,  Chicago,  111. 

Appleton — D.  Applefon  &  Co.,  Chicago,  111. 

Baker— The  Baker  &  Taylor  Co.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Bassette — F.  A.  Bassette  Co.,  Springfield,  Mass. 

Century — The  Century  Co.,  Union  Square,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Charities  Pub.  Com. — Charities  Publication  Committee,  New 
York,  N.  Y. 

Chicago  Univ.  Press — University  of  Chicago  Press,  Chicago,  111. 

Comstock  Pub.  Co. — Comstock  Publishing  Co.,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

Doubleday— Doubleday,  Page  &  Co.,  Garden  City,  N.  Y. 

Flanagan — A.  Flanagan  Co.,  Chicago,  111. 

Funk— Funk  Wagnalls  Co.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Ginn — Ginn  &  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Gorham — The  Gorham  Press,  Boston,  Mass, 

Heath— D.  C.  Heath  &  Co.,  Chicago,  111. 

Houghton — Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

Knickerbocker  Press — The  Knickerbocker  Press,  New  York, 
N.  Y. 

Lippincott — J.  B.  Lippincott  &  "Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Macmillan — The  Macmillan  Co.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Missionary  Educ.  Mov. — Missionary  Education  Movement,  156 
Fifth  Ave.,  New  York  City,  N.  Y. 

Munn— Munn  &  Co.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Outing  Pub.— Outing  Publishing  Co.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Pilgrim  Press — The  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston,  Mass. 

Public  School — Public  School  Publishing  Co.,  Bloomington,  111. 

Rand— Piand-McNally  &  Co.,  Chicago,  111. 

Scribner — Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Sower — Christopher  Sower  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Sturgis  &  Walton— Sturgis  &  Walton,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Webb  Pub.— Webb  Publishing  Co.,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Whitcomb  &  B. — Whitcomb  &  Barrows  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

World  Book  Co.— World  Book  Co.,  Yonkers-on-Hudson,  N.  Y. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.— International  Com.  of  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Press,  124 
East  Twenty-eighth  St.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


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PAMPHLET  BINDER 

Manufactured  by 

GAYLORD  BROS.  Inc. 

Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Stockton,  Calif. 


YC  56757 


M261428 

LB  1400 


